Everyone knows that couple who are so inseparable they practically become one person. They get a couple name (think Brangelina), and their identities merge to the point where imagining them apart feels impossible. While some might see this level of unity as the ultimate romantic goal, others might find it a suffocating level of codependency. Australian director Michael Shanks taps into this idea with TOGETHER, a film that takes the notion of codependency to its most absurd, grotesque, and darkly hilarious extreme. Loosely inspired by his own relationship, TOGETHER explores a couple who become so close it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. However, this level of closeness is far from a romantic exploration of love and instead brings us the best body horror rom-com we could ever hope for.
Millie and Tim (played by real-life married couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco) have been together for nearly a decade but remain stuck in the boyfriend/girlfriend stage with no clear motivation to take the next step. Their relationship is defined by a stifling co-dependency: one cooks, the other doesn’t; one drives, the other can’t; one is the breadwinner, while the other clings to fading dreams of musical success. Rather than supporting each other’s growth, they’ve become so reliant on one another that neither can function alone. Yet, paradoxically, they can’t seem to function together either. The cracks in their relationship are evident, but instead of confronting them head-on, they opt for a fresh start in a quaint, woodsy town, and that’s when their relationship woes take on more corporeal issues.
After stumbling upon an eerie underground church deep in the woods, complete with abandoned pews, hanging bells, and a deceptively clean-looking pool of water, Tim makes the unfortunate decision to take a sip. Soon after, their already unhealthy attachment transforms into something far more visceral. What begins as a magnetic pull between them (both figuratively and literally) escalates into full-blown body horror as their limbs start fusing together in ways that are both grotesque and hilarious. The film revels in its practical effects as it mixes sticky, sinewy body contortions with moments of absurd comedy. Flesh melds and separates with painful elasticity, fingers slide disturbingly beneath skin, and in one particularly cringeworthy yet laugh-out-loud moment, the couple’s long-standing sexual drought ends in a restroom rendezvous gone horribly wrong. However, the film doesn’t just use body horror as a gross-out gimmick, but as the perfect metaphor for the unhealthy enmeshment that defines Millie and Tim’s relationship and emphasizes the horror of codependency in a smart yet disgusting way.
What makes TOGETHER so effective is the commitment of its two leads. Brie and Franco, who have an undeniable real-life chemistry, lean fully into the absurdity of the film’s premise. Their comedic timing is impeccable, especially when reacting to their increasingly grotesque condition. Brie’s sharp delivery and deadpan expressions add layers of humor to even the film’s most nightmarish sequences, while Franco’s talent for playing bewildered and panicked makes for a great counterbalance. Their lived-in bickering and exhausted affection make Millie and Tim feel like a real couple and not just two characters thrown together for a horror movie. Even the supporting cast of Damon Herriman delivers a delightfully unsettling performance as Millie’s new colleague Jamie, whose friendly yet vaguely sinister demeanor hints at something darker lurking in this quiet town.
Michael Shanks proves himself a director to watch as he seamlessly blends practical effects, absurd comedy, and genuine emotional depth into a film that sticks with you (sometimes quite literally). TOGETHER takes the idea of a “sticky relationship” to a whole new level, and offers a gooey, gruesome, and hilarious ride that fans of body horror and offbeat rom-coms won’t want to miss. Whether you’re drawn in by the twisted visuals, the sharp humor, or the unsettling exploration of love and identity, one thing’s for sure, this is a film that won’t easily come unstuck from your mind.
Tags: Alison Brie, Body Horror, Damon Herriman, Dave Franco, Film Festivals, Michael Shanks, SXSW 2025, Together
No Comments