Twinless poses such an odd romantic situation that it dares you to laugh at its premise of grief and repression. The unease can be felt from the start, where Roman (Dylan O’Brien) endures the tragedy of his twin brother, Rocky, dying in a car accident. Previously in love with Rocky was the insecure Dennis (James Sweeney). He’s unwilling to make his relationship known to Rocky’s brother, not merely because he indirectly caused the accident. There’s the lingering longing in Dennis’s heart that maybe he could recapture that romantic connection if Roman is game and kept in the dark about the connection.

Dennis’s deception is understandable, making his further descent into lies more empathetic than frustrating. He feels like he has nothing in his life and that embellishment is the only route. His relationship with Rocky, fleeting as it was, felt like a genuine moment of honesty and passion. There’s something surprisingly heartfelt about how the two of them rush into bed, where their foreplay talk involves how many Mary Kate and Ashley movies they’ve seen. When all that comes crashing down, he’d do anything to reattain, going so far as to lie about taking the LSAT to seem less creepy.

The problem is that Roman is not the same as Rocky, beyond being straight. Roman is more closed off and bitter sometimes, where he can’t have a single conversation with his mother that doesn’t result in shouting. Still, Dennis can’t help himself. All he can say when he looks at this straight man who takes to friendship is the man he once loved. A physical attraction grows more bitter when Roman starts falling for Dennis’s co-worker, Marcie (Aisling Franciosi). Despite her cheerful demeanor and initial obliviousness to Dennis’s cheap shots at her predictable nature, she puts the dishonest pieces of Roman’s story together before Roman. Cornered, all Dennis can do is plead his case, arguing that he has nothing and is willing to lie for one last moment of intimacy with Rocky.

James Sweeney’s direction on this offbeat rom-com is rather sublime in the staging. There are some dazzling layers of reflections for the passage of time and blending split-screen shots showcasing the distance between Dennis and Roman. This tale has an almost dreamlike quality, especially for the scene where Dennis, Roman, and Marcie take a trip through an artistic light showcase, ideally communicating the vibrating anxiety and desperation of Dennis’s desires. All of it builds to an awkward yet believable crescendo of coming to terms with letting go of either a brother or lover, arriving at a messy resolve where honesty doesn’t fix everything, but starts the healing.

Twinless was a surprisingly heartfelt romance for a story that could’ve easily been a misfiring comedy of errors. Sweeney’s direction cleverly weaves the duality throughout, from the sectioning of shots to the phenomenon of seeing nothing but twins once you notice the world around you. His character also becomes more admirable for his drive rather than his spun yarns of being a twin to get closer to the man he wants most. All along the way, Sweeney also finds the right moments to crack a joke, like a snarky friend who never wastes a chance to get in one good jab, even if it’s only for himself. For featuring such somber and sincere humanity, Twinless becomes something a little more heartfelt than a wacky romance with gags about twins. Leave that entertainment junk food to Mary Kate and Ashley.