‘Queens of the Dead’ and ‘Twinless’: Two Exceptional LGBTQ+ Features to Celebrate Pride Month Year-Round
Pride month is a time of celebration and reflection, an opportunity to spread love while honoring a long history of activism promoting equality for all LGBTQ+ people. June may be coming to a close, but the need to protest and support each other continues every single day. The Stonewall Uprising, only 56 years ago, sparked a movement that continues ever stronger today amidst an onslaught of demeaning, harmful legislation and hateful, false rhetoric. Tribeca has always been an organization that uplifts its community and the selection of films at this year’s festival is no exception. Earlier this month, 29 narrative and documentary short and feature length films, series, and immersive experiences illuminated vibrant portraits of a diverse spectrum of identities, from a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the life and campaign of Sarah McBride, the first out transgender member of Congress, in State of Firsts to an intimate look at how gender-affirming care has encouraged three trans American teens and their families despite the draconian laws enacted by twenty four states and counting in Just Kids. The following two films are unique, unforgettable visions brought to life by queer filmmakers that continue pushing the needle toward a fully liberated future.
Queens of the Dead (Tina Romero): Slaying the Haters One Zombie at a Time
“A drag queen walks into a church…” sounds like the setup of an extremely offensive joke but actually makes for an introduction as bold, original, hilarious, and timely as a queer zombie horror-comedy has ever been. Writer-director Tina Romero, along with co-writer Erin Judge and an extensive, fabulous cast and crew, shapes a thought-provoking, unapologetic tale of survival that encourages the audience to both engage and dance. Queens of the Dead is a battle cry for a community that continues to be targeted yet perseveres to provide refuge through reflection and authenticity. Romero follows in her father’s footsteps, famed “Godfather of the Dead,” George A. Romero, with a highly entertaining feature debut that channels all of the characteristic chills and thrills from other classic cult B-movies with her own fearlessly queer spin.
After an unknown zombie virus begins to infect the citizens of New York, specifically Bushwick in Brooklyn, a group of interconnected friends and chosen family must band together. Camp is Romero’s weapon of choice used to elevate the heart of the film on this bedazzled adventure through the underground queer scene. Drag queens ZombiQueen (Julie J) and Ginsey Tonic (comedy queen Nina West from RuPaul’s Drag Race) open the film with brilliant, head-turning entrances: the former in a church who comes across a zombie priest and the latter who gives Easter an entirely new meaning by lip syncing as the Virgin Mary to Kesha’s everlasting club hit, “Blow.”
Before the all-too-familiar announcement to shelter in place is made, a disastrous series of events befalls Dre (Katy O’Brian, Love Lies Bleeding), owner of a bar that later becomes an apocalyptic home base for the group, turning her party planning into a nightmare. Yasmine (Dominique Jackson, Pose) backs out of hosting the event, the bar’s toilet is clogged, and one of the dancers has left for a better-paying gig. Dre’s wife, Lizzy (Riki Lindhome, Another Period), a quick problem solver, comes to the rescue by calling her brother Barry (Quincy Dunn-Baker, The Righteous Gemstones), an ignorant, conservative podcast-loving plumber, and Sam (Jaquel Spivey and his angelic voice, Mean Girls), Ginsey’s drag daughter who used to perform as Samonce but now works as a hospital nurse. Sam’s transgender patient who overdosed, Jane (Eve Lindley, National Anthem), then tries to find her sassy dealer, Nico aka Scrumptious (Tomás Matos, Fire Island), who happens to dance at Dre’s bar. Kelsey (Jack Haven, I Saw the TV Glow), Dre’s inexperienced assistant, does little to put out the fires, but her fierce fianceé, the Zombie-busters gang leader Pops (Margaret Cho, Fire Island), arrives with a plan. It can be difficult to keep track of all of the characters’ relationships at times, but each one represents a necessary component to the diverse LGBTQ+ community that grounds the group’s dreadful experience in a heightened reality. Initially, do they all get along? Absolutely not. Do they learn to understand each other’s differences? Well if they didn’t, you probably wouldn’t mind seeing them end up undead.
Though spooky, the apocalypse is simply a conduit for Romero to praise the LGBTQ+ community while confronting an increasingly divisive reality. Addiction, faith, and mental health are just some of the important themes addressed, despite usually being reserved for serious dramas alone. These lessons encourage self-reflection as a gratifying path to embracing and overcoming the many differences that ultimately unite a people. Achieving all of that and so much more, amongst kick-ass action sequences, eye-popping hairstyles and costumes and gory, glitter-based practical effects on such a small budget shows the undying dedication and soul this team injected into its bones. Hang onto your wigs because Queens of the Dead is a ride you won’t want to miss, and once they “let the crazy out, this place [is going] to BLOW.”
Grade: B+
Queens of the Dead premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Narrative Audience Award. Additionally, check out my revealing interview with the director, producer, and cast members.
Twinless (James Sweeney): A Career Best Dylan O’Brien Doubles Your Pleasure, Doubles Your Fun in James Sweeney’s Sophomore Breakthrough
If you have some sort of obsession with twins, like Dennis (director, writer, and co-lead James Sweeney) admits in Twinless, you might be disappointed by the lack of seeing double. (Don’t worry, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen make an appearance in a clip of It Takes Two, a defining film for Sweeney’s target millennial audience.) However, expect to be doubling over with gut-wrenching laughter and heartache alike throughout this emotional knockout of a stellar sophomore feature. Dylan O’Brien delivers an overdue star-making performance as twin brothers Rocky and Roman who are ripped apart when the former passes suddenly in the first moments of the film. Roman’s relationship with his family is far from healthy, but his struggle to cope forces him to confront those complications with his mom, played by one of TV’s favorites, Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood). Though Roman deflects her understanding, sensitive nature, a ray of hope soon appears in the form of a similarly twinless Dennis. Their dry wit and interminable grief make for an instantly inseparable connection that fuels their healing journey.
What follows is an unexpectedly twisted and personal dark comedy that successfully weaves multiple perspectives in order to navigate the stages of grief. Rocky’s limited but revealing backstory as a gay Portlander sheds ample light on the twins’ metaphysically linked yet abruptly severed relationship. Not only are you in awe of Sweeney’s triumphant script that manages endless humor despite the morbid subject matter (for one, their twinless group therapist turns the session into her own open mic night) or his instant chemistry with O’Brien, innovative camera techniques also subvert your expectations to provide a more nuanced understanding of the taut web in which everyone is caught. Cinematographer Greg Cotten and editor Nik Boyanov constantly keep you on your toes with 360° shots, split screen, and crosscutting. Add to that Dennis’ attentive receptionist at work, Marcie (Aisling Franciosi, Speak No Evil), and Rocky’s date, George (Chris Perfetti, Abbott Elementary), who witnessed his final moments, and you get a shocking climax you won’t want to miss.
Twins may form a special, magnetic bond unlike any other, but Twinless surely appeals to all audiences. It also proves that bonds of all kinds- even unrequited ones- with siblings, co-workers, partners, or parents, can lead to unexpectedly life-changing outcomes if you let them. Dylan O’Brien’s audacious acting abilities steal the show, filling you with wonder while James Sweeney flourishes, showcasing his many talents in front of and behind the camera. Easily one of the best movies of the year, Twinless is so good you’ll want to see it twice.
Grade: A-
Twinless will be released in theaters on September 5 by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.
- ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Review: A Slicker Legacy Sequel Worth Waiting For [B+] - July 16, 2025
- ‘Queens of the Dead’ and ‘Twinless’: Two Exceptional LGBTQ+ Features to Celebrate Pride Month Year-Round - June 30, 2025
- ‘Oh, Hi!’ Review: Logan Lerman is Shirtless While Molly Gordon Shines in Entertaining, Hilarious Screwball Comedy [B] | Tribeca - June 13, 2025
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