"Together" is a film about change

Michael Shanks' 2025 romantic horror Together may just be one of the most eye-opening, jaw-dropping, intense pieces of cinema I have ever seen.

For starters, what makes Together so compelling is its brilliant screenplay. Not only is it a fantastic character-focused script, but it is one that has just enough content for first-time viewers to really understand the inner-workings of its protagonists.

Real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie play Tim and Millie, who move out to the countryside so that Millie can work as an elementary school teacher, giving 35-year-old Tim the opportunity to get his life figured out. However, while lost on a hike, they both fall into what seems to be a man-made hole in the ground, and must spend the night inside, where Tim consumes some water from an suspiciously-clean pool, sharing it with Millie. After getting out the next morning, the two find their legs stuck to one another, and must peel their legs apart, causing some pain.

After spending the night in a cave, Tim (Dave Franco) and Millie (Alison Brie) wake up to find a sticky substance keeping them together.

From there on out, Tim becomes possessed, feeling incredibly attached to Millie, and even abandons his gig of performing in a band, and finding her at her school, making intense love to her in the boys bathroom. Then, the most painful scene in the film occurs, with Tim being stuck inside Millie, whilst in the stall. After a brief struggle, they are able to separate, but not before Millie has an embarrassing encounter with her co-worker, Jamie (Damon Herriman).

Feeling obviously aggravated and upset that Tim showed up to her school unexpectedly, she goes to apologize to Jamie at his nearby house, but then sees Tim outside the house, forcing her to flee. Yet, before Tim's arrival, Jaime explains Plato's theory of two humans needing one another to become whole.

Later that night, Tim investigates the disappearance of Simon (Michael Shanks) and Keri (Sarah Lang), and realizes that they went missing near the same cavernous area that he and Millie fell into, and theorizes that it has something to do with his physical inability to be way from Millie. However, Millie then spooks Tim, as her body contorts and she becomes physically drawn to Tim, until Tim slaps her awake.

Tim then explains his theory to Millie, which she dismisses, and tells him not to sleep with her, which Tim does. However, their physical connection only heightens, as the two become magnets to one another, and while failing to consume and snort Tim's muscle relaxant pills, become fused together by the arms.

With their arms fused together, Millie uses a hacksaw to sever the bond and free herself from Tim.

The next morning, Millie has tied Tim to a chair, realizing his theory was correct, and saws through their fused limb, causing both of them extreme pain and discomfort.

After separating, Millie decides they need to go to a hospital, but realizes she left her car keys at Jamie's place, so goes to get them, but warns Tim not to "do anything stupid". Tim agrees, and Millie leaves, which then makes Tim go investigate the cave, where he sees the mutated, two-headed humanoid creature that Simon and Keri have turned into, giving both him, and the audience a good scare. Meanwhile, Millie enters Jamie's house, where she doesn't see Jamie, but instead sees Jamie's wedding video playing eerily on a TV in a nearby room. She watches the video as she recognizes the church present to be the same one that was located in the hole she and Tim fell through. She then watches as two men fuse together, much to her horror. Jamie then startles her, and reveals himself to be the result of said fusion, assures Millie that he is happier now that "he is whole", and implores Millie to complete the fusing process with Tim, because resisting is futile. Millie resists Jamie's idea, as he then cuts her wrist with a knife, which prompts Millie to punch Jamie and leave, where she meets back with Tim, who brandishes a knife, and threatens to kill himself in order for Millie to be safe. However, Millie shows Tim her cut wrist, and bleeds out, in which Tim makes the ultimate sacrifice, choosing to fuse to Millie's wound to save her. The two then slow dance and make out to "2 Become 1" by the Spice Girls, embracing the change instead of fighting it, fusing into a singular being. That weekend, Millie's parents (Tom Considine and Melanie Beddie) arrive at Tim and Millie's house, and are greeted by the completed fusion of Tim and Millie.

So, what does all of this mean? What is Together really about?

Alison Brie and Dave Franco's real-life spark brings an extra edge to the film, making every moment feel more charged and high-stakes.

Well, in my eyes, it is a story about change. You see, the fusion process doesn't work properly if two beings resist the change. Take a look at the dogs who become fused together (which I imagine, is a reference to The Human Centipede, which I haven’t seen, but unfortunately know pretty well) at the beginning of the film. They resist the change, becoming a mutated monster being. The same thing occurs with Simon and Keri, the couple from the cave Tim encounters. They resisted the fusion process, turning them into something hideous. Yet, Jamie, knowing what the fusing process entailed, embraced the fusion, and although it was painful, he now lives a happy life. Same with Tim and Millie. And that's what Together is about. The fusion process is a metaphor for change. If one resists change, then the process of change is going to be painful. However, if one embraces change, then the process will be much smoother, even if it will have its hiccups during the process of changing. Us humans are so incredibly scared of change that we'd rather sit there in comfort and unhappiness rather than fully embracing our own autonomy, and embracing new things. In fact, Tim's character is a perfect example of somebody who resists change, while Millie is somebody who embraces change. In that regard, they are perfect contrasts to one another. It is not until Tim and Millie embrace the change that they are free of pain.

Despite the fantastic storytelling, great characters, and horrifying scenes to watch, I had one problem with Together—the ending.

On paper, I think the ending is great. Tim and Millie fusing? Brilliant. Millie's parents arriving for a visit? Even better. The audience knew exactly who they were when they approached the house. But then revealing what Tim and Millie looked like as one? That's where it lost me. What I think should have been the final shot is Millie's parents reacting to Tim and Millie's transformation, hearing Tim and Millie say, "Hey", and then a hard cut to black. It should have been for the audience's interpretation to decide what "Tillie" (the combination of Tim and Millie) looked like. Showing the audience the true transformation lost the horror factor to me, and honestly, lost the film's perfect five-star rating. Perhaps upon a re-watch I will enjoy the film's ending a bit more.

Not only did Michael Shanks direct the film, but he also wrote the screenplay for it.

Regardless of that one flaw, Together is a brilliant film. With a fantastic screenplay, terrific chemistry between Franco and Brie, and incredible horror elements (I honestly thought the body horror aspects would scare me much more than they did, but strangely, they did not), Together is one of the best romantic horror films I have ever seen. Right after watching it, it made me inspired to start thinking of ideas for a modern horror short film that I could make. I love it when films make me hungry, or in this case, thirsty, to conjure up ideas of my own. Together did just that, and more.

With all that being said, I would rate Together four and half stars out of five.