There’s a delightful alchemy to “Twinless,” the sophomore film from writer/director/co-star James Sweeney (“Straight Up”). Billed as a dark comedy about two strangers who trauma bond over the deaths of each of their twin brothers, it often sidesteps its morose premise — hilariously and diabolically so. It’s an unsparing examination of loneliness and grief, thanks to a devastating knockout dual performance by co-star Dylan O’Brien. It’s also one of the funniest movies of the year, unabashed in its morbid humor and scathing dialogue.

It’s chameleon-like, cleverly shifting between queer rom-com, affecting drama and Hitchcockian thriller. And once you begin to realize that things aren’t what they seem, it always leaves you wondering just what’s coming next.

“Twinless” opens with a car crash, one that leaves shy, insecure, straight Roman (O’Brien) suddenly without his gregarious, educated, gay twin, Rocky (also played by O’Brien in flashback scenes). One bitter argument with his mom (Lauren Graham) later, the stoic-faced man soon finds himself at a bereavement group for twinless twins. As the members process their losses, Roman locks eyes with a man across from him: Dennis (an excellently deadpan Sweeney), who’s witty and outgoing and gay. How serendipitous.

The two bond instantly, finding comfort in knowing that the other understands this particular kind of loss. Soon, they’re grocery shopping, working out and playing video games together. They even visit Seattle from Portland to catch a Kraken hockey game together. (One of the film’s most memorable scenes happens inside Climate Pledge Arena.)

For Roman, it’s a near facsimile of what he lost after Rocky’s death. For Dennis? Well, it’s a bit more complicated, and drastically more problematic. What started as a way to heal metastasizes into something far more discomfiting, especially as secrets — we’re talking dark, messed-up secrets — begin to surface.

As an actor, Sweeney’s awkward, goofy, unnerving performance is on-point, a whirlwind of profound loneliness and narcissism that pokes at far deeper questions. As a director, his sense of pacing is exemplary. (There’s no fluff to be found here.) But his prime achievement in “Twinless” is to give O’Brien room to shine — and dazzle he does. Sweeney’s script is generous with the twins, imbuing the self-loathing Roman with a slowly revealed complexity and the now-gone Rocky with a sensual, commanding confidence. No matter the brothers' motivations or personalities, O’Brien delivers a star turn.

(And a shoutout to composer Jung Jae-il, known for his works for “Parasite” and “Squid Game,” whose score in “Twinless” equally uplifts and unsettles.)

It’s not often you can laugh in the face of grief; “Twinless” fearlessly goes out of its way to make sure that you do. It’s a whiplash journey of humor bordering on callousness, and sadness just shy of suffocating, but you’ll want to hold its twisted, bruised heart in your hands all the same. It deserves some comfort after all it’s been through.

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'TWINLESS'

3.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for sexual content/nudity and language)

Running time: 1:40

How to watch: In theaters Sept. 5

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