Dylan O’Brien Will Make an Appearance at Miami Film Festival Gems

The Teen Wolf actor and Taylor Swift collaborator is promoting his latest film, Twinless.

September 18, 2025

Image: Actor Dylan O'Brien wears a suit on a red carpet at a film premiere.

Dylan O'Brien will Photo by Darian DiCianno for BFA

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On the heels of news that actor and writer Ethan Hawke will appear at this year's Gems to accept Variety's Virtuoso Award and participate in a Q&A, the Miami Film Festival has announced that actor Dylan O'Brien will also attend the festival to accept Variety's Vanguard Award and participate in a Q&A.

Variety says the honor is "presented to artists whose work reflects depth, originality, and a bold, distinctive vision for contemporary cinema." O'Brien is perhaps best known for his roles in the TV series Teen Wolf and the Maze Runner film trilogy. He also co-starred alongside Sadie Sink in 2021's All Too Well: The Short Film, written and directed by Taylor Swift. (O'Brien is also credited with playing drums on the singer's 2022 album, Midnights.)

Lately, he has been taking on weightier roles. In 2024, he starred in Ponyboi opposite River Gallo. The role earned him recognition at Variety and Golden Globe's Breakthrough Artist Awards. He also played Dan Aykroyd in the film Saturday Night, a retelling of the 1975 premiere episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live with a "who's who" of young Hollywood, including Rachel Sennott, Gabriel LaBelle, Cory Michael Smith, and Ella Hunt.
The actor's latest film, Twinless, on which he also served as executive producer, will screen at Cosford Cinema on Saturday, November 1, with O'Brien in attendance to participate in a Q&A. The film is receiving plenty of critical praise. "If you only know O'Brien from the Maze Runner movies and the odd Taylor Swift music video, you're in for not one, but two, distinct and thrilling performances," wrote RogerEbert.com critic Christy Lemire in her review of the film. Written, directed, and starring James Sweeney, the film tells the story of two men who connect at a twinless twins support group; however, there's a big twist that I won't spoil here.

There's a good chance O'Brien's turn in Twinless will see him mount a serious campaign during this year's award season. That's in keeping with Gems' core mission to bring some of the buzziest films from the past festival season to Miami, many of which go on to take home some trophies.

Dylan O'Brien at Gems. 5 p.m. Saturday, November 1, at Cosford Cinema, 5030 Brunson Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-4627; cosfordcinema.com.

Gems 2025. Wednesday, October 29, through Wednesday, November 5. miamifilmfestival.com/festival/gems.

Jose D. Duran is the former senior music editor of Miami New Times. His work has also appeared in publications likeVice, Billboard, and Spin. He’s earned numerous accolades including placing first for Weekly Newspaper Contest: Business Reporting from the Florida Press Association in 2020; placing third for the Writing: Light Feature from the Florida Press Club in 2019; and placing third in Weekly Newspaper Contest: Best Obituary from the Florida Press Association in 2015.

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