Together, 2025.
Written and Directed by Michael Shanks.
Starring Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman, Mia Morrissey, Karl Richmond, Jack Kenny, Francesca Waters, Aljin Abella, Sarah Lang, Rob Brown, Ellora Iris, Tom Considine, and Melanie Beddie.
SYNOPSIS:
Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country. With tensions already flaring, an encounter with an unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love and their flesh.
Relationships are complicated. Writer/director Michael Shanks’ feature-length debut film Together has a gnarly body horror concept for exploring this; the kind that offers up a seemingly unlimited amount of potential once we get a sense of what is happening to years-long couple Tim and Millie (played by real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie) after an accidental trapping inside a subterranean cave surrounded by religious engravings and mystical water.
It’s an idea tailor-made to scare the crap out of any couple selecting the film for date night, while also appropriately and effectively played for laughs given the stars in the lead roles, yet it also falls short of running with that potential for something truly unhinged. If anything, some of this is also short-changed by subplots involving the small town lore (the couple are city transplants, a move that comes with its upsides and frustrations for their relationship) and a cult, which seems superfluous by the climax, detracting from the romantic strife.
Even the ending feels more like a logical conclusion (more so for what can be achieved with the body horror, although sensible for the narrative as well), which perhaps doesn’t feel as shocking or impactful, given how recent offerings in the sub-genre have spoiled us. There certainly isn’t the budget to pull it off in terms of digital special effects, which raises creative questions considering the filmmakers accomplished something similar with disturbing makeup effects in a couple of scenes prior. With that said, it’s also still a hoot, serving as a reminder that following an obvious path isn’t inherently a negative. Accusations that Michael Shanks plagiarized this story will be tough to prove; rest assured, once the gimmick comes into play, it’s not at all a stretch to believe that multiple individuals could come up with similar concepts and scenes.
Together is still wildly inventive and grotesquely entertaining, but it leaves something to be desired, as it’s somewhat predictable and doesn’t fully integrate all its moving parts into a satisfying whole. One could argue that this film doesn’t even need a mystical element to explain why Tim and Millie are sometimes being forcefully magnetized to one another, resulting in wince-inducing physicality. The film sets up more than enough about each of them, including both the good and bad aspects of their relationship, to the point where, if allowed, the themes can speak for themselves. In some cases, the screenplay goes a bit too far, with dialogue awkwardly accentuating those themes.
Speaking of those lovebirds, Tim is somewhat directionless, having dreamed of being a rock star, with the likelihood of that occurring decreasing every day. Meanwhile, Millie has been offered a more fulfilling teaching job a couple of hours away in the countryside, which means fewer students and more one-on-one time to help them learn and grow. Tim also has commitment issues, practically turning to stone when Millie proposes to him in front of their friend group before the move. By the way, one of Tim’s bandmates, who is also Millie’s brother, remarks that he thought them getting together would make her less boring, but that the relationship has turned him into just that.
Following that disastrous evening, Tim and Millie begin examining their relationship, all while backstory involving the former comes into play with a tragic death and a mentally unwell mother that, seemingly only exists to highlight another theme in what might as well be all caps: sometimes you don’t smell rotting death right away, and the same goes for relationships. It’s also an excuse to include nightmare dream sequences early on, which are generally lame in most movies, but forgivable here since some chilling visuals accompany the jump scares.
Tim’s cold feet during the proposal also eventually bring out some passive-aggressive behavior toward her, as he wonders if he is still in love with Millie or if he is trapped in this dynamic, and that the spark has flamed out. There also appears to be some jealousy that she has successfully pursued her passions, and he, while still trying with her support (he doesn’t have a driver’s license, but she is willing to drop him off at train stations to travel and still perform with the band), is failing more and more every day.
As such, the body horror of Together cleverly plays into that exploration of whether they should stay together, are stuck together, and the challenges of letting go. It should also not be understated that this often plays out hilariously, if unsurprisingly so. Dave Franco and Alison Brie are wholly committed to the premise, with the former delivering some nuanced dramatic moments during the terror that, even as he might be losing faith in himself, he refuses to lose his faith in her when they are endangered and confronting this supernatural force that is taking over their bodies. In moments of terror, Tim’s feelings for Millie come rushing back. Disappointingly, Alison Brie is given the eye-rolling material of someone who refuses to believe that they are up against something otherworldly, although she still gives a similarly terrific, conflicted performance.
Together however, they nail the tonal wavelength and maintain that twisted sense of glee even when Michael Shanks’ ambition exceeds his grasp.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
