It’s almost impossible to prepare you for Together.
Directed by Michael Shanks, Together tells the story of Millie and Tim (Alison Brie and Dave Franco), a couple who have been together for years yet only now find themselves at a crossroads. Just as Tim’s music career is about to take off, Millie asks that they move to the country so that the two of them can start fresh together. Though their relationship appears solid, the move raises tensions between them. But, after they encounter a mysterious, unnatural force, the two find themselves drawn to each other in increasingly toxic ways (literally).
In Together, Shanks pulls no punches. Featuring disturbing imagery and dark humour, the film is incredibly bold. With an eye (or two) on body horror, the writer/director is more than willing to allow his visuals to give his audience the creeps, even in moments that are genuinely funny. Limbs slowly attaching to one another and then breaking apart are enough to make the viewers own skin crawl. But the film is almost as vicious thematically, as Shanks uses his razor sharp pen to explore the harsh realities of relationships and the ways that they can steal pieces of our souls. As a result, Together easily becomes one of the most brutal and graphic dissections of modern marriage in recent memory.
It’s also utterly fascinating.
But what holds Together… well… together is its dynamic duo of Alison Brie and Dave Franco. Married to each other in real life, one cannot help but admire the couple for seeking out a movie that would undoubtedly challenge their own relationship. Both approach their roles with fearlessness and ferocity. As Tim, Franco is a man who is simply broken. Although the potential for musical success lies at his feet, recent events in his life have left him an empty shell. We see glimpses of the man that Millie fell in love with but we also wonder if that man still exists.
At the same time, Brie portrays Millie as the brightest star in the relationship. For Tim, she is a beacon of light and hope, especially given his emotional trauma. Yet her ability to shine feels dimmed due to the endless care that she needs to offer him. With Tim struggling, Millie’s needs aren’t being met but she is relentless in her commitment to their relationship. When they’re onscreen together, the duo absolutely sparkles with a complex balance of love, resentment and fear that makes then undeniably compelling to watch.
After all, even though they’re beloved by their friends and family, Tim and Millie are meant to be that couple that everyone knows doesn’t entirely make sense. Their interests don’t always seem ‘in line’ with one another’s and their emotional baggage affects their sexual intimacy. Even so, their love for each other keeps their relationship secure so their friends remain supportive.
Yet, after the move, Tim’s ambitions are slowly strangled and Millie’s career seems to at a tipping point. As their dreams appear to be taking them in different directions, they both begin to realize that their relationship threatens their livelihood. As the film progresses, their time together becomes a battle between their waning affection for one another and their personal independence. Tim and Millie feel like their losing their individuality but they don’t want to abandon their relationship either.
In short, the more they grow together, the more they want to pull apart.
In these moments, Together uses their battle for personal space to put modern marriage on trial. Here, Shanks turns up the heat on their relationship, revealing the cracks that threaten to destroy them both. Millie and Tim are both people who seem to know who they want to be. But can they be that person while they’re in this relationship? How do people stay together when it makes more sense to separate? Or should they?
As such, it goes without saying that this isn’t a film for every viewer. This is the sort of piece that manages to push every possible button. (In fact, the cast have even compared viewing the film with going to therapy.) Even so, questions about marriage like these prove there’s a method to Shanks’ madness. Backed by strong performances and a solid script, Shanks takes the viewer on a ride into the very core of modern relationships, forcing them to look into themselves in the process.
Together is available in theatres on Wednesday, July 30th, 2025.
