Dave Franco and Alison Brie’s latest horror film, “Together”, is a masterclass in psychological terror that completely defied my expectations. What initially appears to be a relationship drama with horror elements quickly transforms into an exploration of body horror that challenges everything we think we know about love, commitment, and the boundaries of intimacy. This film doesn’t just entertain—it disturbs you in ways that will linger long after the credits roll.
The Setup: Innocent Enough… Or So I Thought
Here’s the thing about “Together” – it starts so deceptively normal that you almost forget you’re watching a horror movie. 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.
The early scenes are almost painfully realistic. The single scariest sequence happens early on. Tim is giving a toast to all of their friends at their farewell soirée, telling them how much they will miss everybody. Then there’s a gasp. He quickly turns round to see Millie on one knee, her hands miming the holding of an engagement ring. And honestly? That public proposal scene made me cringe harder than any horror movie ever has. The secondhand embarrassment was REAL!
When Things Get Absolutely Unhinged
The real terror begins after a stroll that ends up in a cave, and they devolve into maddened humans, getting under each other’s skin. And when I say “literally,” I mean it. This is where director Michael Shanks said, “You know what? Let’s make codependency into actual body horror,” and proceeded to traumatise every person in that theatre.
There are some genuinely horrifying scenes — like, clenched legs and having to look away — moments of visceral body horror in Together. A few scenes seem flat-out inconceivable if Millie and Tim hadn’t been played by a real-life married couple. The practical effects used are so convincingly disgusting that all the effects, a mix of practical and CGI, play incredibly well on screen. It all looks real (and really, really disturbing).
The Performances That’ll Haunt You
Let’s talk about how Dave Franco and Alison Brie absolutely COMMITTED to this film. The physical commitment of these performances just makes Brie and Franco’s work more impressive. They put their bodies as well as their hearts all through the movie.
Watching a real-life married couple portray this level of physical and psychological deterioration is both fascinating and deeply unsettling. You can see the trust they have in each other as actors, which makes the horror even more effective. In one particular sequence where they’re literally trying to separate their merged limbs, the raw desperation and physical agony they convey feel uncomfortably real.
Alison Brie, in particular, is absolutely fearless in this role. The transformation her character goes through – both emotionally and physically – is nothing short of extraordinary. Dave Franco matches her intensity every step of the way, and together they create something that’s equal parts love story and nightmare fuel.
The Horror That Hits Different
What makes “Together” so terrifying isn’t just the body horror alone. It’s the way it uses horror to explore something we’re all afraid of: losing yourself in a relationship. The film uses its supernatural premise to examine genuine fears about intimacy, codependency, and the loss of individuality within relationships. I’ve never seen a movie that made the idea of “becoming one with your partner” sound so absolutely TERRIFYING. Every sweet couple thing I used to think was cute – finishing each other’s sentences, sharing clothes, wanting to spend every moment together – now feels like the beginning of a horror movie.
What Sets This Movie Apart
“Together” succeeds because it takes universal relationship anxieties and amplifies them to their most extreme, literal conclusion. We’ve all worried about losing ourselves in a relationship, about becoming too dependent on someone else, or about the boundaries between oneself and partner becoming blurred. This movie poses the terrifying question: “What if that psychological fear became physical reality ?”
Director Michael Shanks demonstrates remarkable restraint by never allowing viewers to forget that beneath all the supernatural horror lies a fundamental story about two people whose love may be expressed in dangerously unhealthy ways.
Conclusion: Beautifully Terrifying
Together is an unhinged horror film that gets under your skin and stays there. It’s disturbing, intelligent, and absolutely committed to making you uncomfortable in the best possible way. And what it has on its mind is going to disturb you in the best possible way.
If you can handle extreme body horror and don’t mind having your relationship goals completely reconsidered, “Together” is an absolute must-watch. It’s terrifying in all the right ways, featuring career-best performances from Franco and Brie in a film that’ll make you grateful for healthy boundaries in relationships.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars – Absolutely terrifying, brilliantly acted, and guaranteed to make you think twice about couple goals. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you about what you’re getting into.
“Together” is a brilliantly acted, deeply disturbing horror that turns love and codependency into pure nightmare fuel.