This body-horror romance from Michael Shanks stars real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a long-term couple relocating to the country in hopes of reviving their relationship. But when a freak incident in a cave messes with their bodies—and by extension, their minds—the move is the beginning of the couple’s nightmare.
The movie was filmed locally in the Dandenong Ranges and at Melbourne’s Docklands Studios, which becomes distracting when you know what you’re looking at (V-Line train cameo; the school Millie is teaching at is clearly an Aussie primary school and looks nothing like an elementary school from the USA, etc.)
Beyond that, Together toes a daring line, mixing unsettling visuals, cringe-worthy practical effects and a darkly funny take on co-dependency. The concept alone – partners physically drawn together unless they literally saw themselves apart – has undeniable freak-out appeal. Franco and Brie lean into the material, making their characters feel grounded even as their legs, and then arms, fuse in horrifying detail.
At its best, Together delivers gripping, grotesquely original set pieces -a bathroom-stall tryst that’s uncomfortably erotic, grotesque fusion in a cave, and a finale that blends weird romance with mind-bending body horror.
For all its creative gore, the script can feel too eager to spell out its metaphors. Its take on toxic attachment is obvious – and sometimes over-explained – robbing the tension of the quiet menace it could have had.
There’s genuine chemistry and athleticism from its leads, and technical ambition in its effects is obvious. Yet as a horror piece, it doesn’t always stick the landing – especially if you’re after a deeper emotional hit or a more fully explained mythos. You’ll be left with more questions than answers.
