Lauren Gallagher digs into the dark embrace of Together.
A volunteer search party makes their way through a dark forest. The camera pans down to a large bell sunken into the earth at the mouth of a cavern, then descends into the darkness. In the cave, two dogs, having strayed from the search, lap at a pool of water. Ominous whispers seem to be coming directly from the cave walls. When the dogs return home, they begin to act strangely. They fixate on each other, staring with an intensity that unsettles their owner. That night, he discovers their grotesquely intertwined bodies - their bloodied mouths and necks merging together painfully.
This unsettling opening sets the tone for the rest of the film, which made waves after premiering at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Neon ultimately won a bidding war for distribution rights against a host of other studios, including indie players Mubi, A24 and Focus Features, as well as major studios Amazon MGM Studios and Apple TV+. This marks the first feature film sale of the festival. The psychological body horror is the debut of writer/director Michael Shanks and the first on-screen collaboration of real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco.
Shanks initially struggled to find funding for the film, reportedly drafting the first script in 2019, before eventually receiving funding from Screen Australia to expand on the idea. While Together was one of the most highly anticipated indie horror releases of the year, it recently received less positive press due to the lawsuit filed by writer/director Patrick Henry Phelan. He claims that the film closely resembles his own Better Half; but Shanks has stated that his script had been registered with the Writers Guild of America for at least a year before Phelan pitched his script. While this lawsuit is ongoing and no documents have been made accessible to the public, there is not much else to do but stay updated with the legal proceedings.
Thematically, Together follows a long-standing tradition in horror. From the early literature of Dracula and Jane Eyre, to more contemporary horror films like Bones and All and Spring, horror has often embraced the idea of love as an all-consuming force. A passion that means craving to live in each other’s skin, or devour each other whole, figuratively and literally. Together presents the same kind of intimacy but refuses to romanticise it, instead asking whether love is truly worth losing yourself for. When does closeness become suffocating? And when does the desire to be inseparable stop being sweet and start being worrisome?
Tim (Franco) and Milly’s (Brie) relationship, already crumbling under the weight of mismatched ambitions, becomes Together’s true terror. Their merging flesh is just a symptom of merged lives, where separation feels akin to losing a limb. One of the film’s most memorable moments happens early on, when Milly and Tim host a farewell party for their friends, as the pair have bought a rural home to be closer to Milly’s new job. That night, Milly proposes to Tim at the party, but his hesitation embarrasses her, prompting her friends to urge her to end the relationship. Later, Milly asks Tim if he still wants to move together, seeking reassurance. However, Tim responds by saying it is too late to change his mind. She replies, ‘if we don’t split now, it will be much harder to later’, a sentiment that is repeated later in a much more literal way.
The phrase ‘opposites attract’ may be true but it can also be naïve. Tim and Milly have vastly different personalities and life goals, clashing over crucial issues such as sexual compatibility and communication, as well as the mundane - from when they go to bed to whether they spend weekends hiking or staying indoors. These differences deepen via their continuous passive-aggressive spats. Tim takes on a submissive role, letting his uncertainty over his career rule his life. This forces Milly to be more proactive, making the decisions she believes will shape their future. Tim never tells Milly that he wants to live in the city, stay up late, party and focus on his music, no matter how many times Milly encourages him to be truthful. When a friend suggests he is just living as an extension of Milly, Tim spirals.
Neither Tim nor Milly are bad people, but they are selfish. They are both unwilling to compromise, even though their incompatibility is hurting them. Yet the chemistry between Tim and Milly is undeniable. One of this film's sweetest scenes sees Milly recall their first date. She outed herself as a die-hard Spice Girls fan. Convinced she had embarrassed herself, Milly was delighted when on their next date, Tim gifted her a vinyl copy of Spice. Of course, love is one of the most important aspects of the human experience, and the deep connection between the leads drives that home, but Together also asks if love is enough.
Together is in cinemas 15th August 2025.
