Together Review - The Dangers of Codependency
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With love comes beauty, however New Zealand director Michael Shank's debut Together has chosen to inspect the uncomfortable aspects of romantic attachment.
We meet long-term couple Millie and Tim in the midst of their farewell party as they plan to embark on a new journey away from environmental familiarity. Yet lingering beneath their comfortable facade lies insecurity, imbalance and imperfection - most starkly revealed by a misjudged act of vulnerability which will leave audiences shrinking in their seats. This action will occur regularly in the film's 102 minute duration as the couple's interdependence is explored through shocking moments of gore and uncomfortable body horror, understandably eliciting comparisons to 2024’s The Substance. Nevertheless, the difference between these productions is Together's ability to twist visually horrifying moments into something intimate and oftentimes gentle - creating a seamless allegory regarding the morphing of identities in monogynous relationships.
The complexities of this societal norm effortlessly translates onto the big screen due to the construction of its two main characters played by real life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco. The pair's unmistakable chemistry allows for an authentic portrayal of partners in a state of turmoil and uncertainty regarding whether their relationship is based on true love or simply complacency. This has further aided the film's marketing strategy, images of Franco draining the ‘sweat’ from Brie's towel into his mouth and the couple cutting toenails in the park adding to the sense of intrigue and mystique regarding the project.
Furthermore, both actors shine individually in their roles, Brie inhabiting a woman who feels unsupported by her ‘boy partner’ (as she so awkwardly calls him), and Franco nailing the role of someone who feels both trapped by and inevitably tied to his spouse.
Shank's not only gives the characters room to breathe but allows the audience to truly invest in the pair's eccentricities and habits. Although they may not appear perfect, their flaws are what make them so inviting, providing another reason as to why we deeply care about the film's events. The natural progression of the production and its familiar, homely setting makes the gore not only more shocking, but increasingly personal and invasive. Although not as graphic as most typical body horrors (many calling the film a gateway into the genre) Together's use of emotional impact makes the disturbing scenes even more visceral.
Two of the film’s greatest moments take place within a bathroom (one in a shower, the other in a toilet cubicle) and are a testament to the production's use of CGI and physical acting to emphasise the pull of a supernatural force. Within both of these scenes viewers are left nervously anticipating the inevitable brutal consequences, close ups and quick cuts simply adding to a growing sense of claustrophobia and providing a nightmarish tone similar to that of a fever dream. This in-your-face unease is when the production is at its strongest and most nail-biting, a quality which is not replicated in the film's final seconds (and is unfortunately its standout flaw).
Together works due to its ability to mesh a universal fear of commitment and a genre which is becoming increasingly more emotionally charged and ultimately inventive. This contemporary triumph has to be seen to be believed (with ideally as little knowledge as possible regarding its plot) and experienced amongst people who you can laugh, gag and curl up alongside - although you may be wishing for some distance once the film ends. With such an ingenious concept and the names of an A-list duo brimming with ready-made allure, it's no wonder Shank's debut is a mesh of everything wonderful about horror. With a tender and oddly beautiful undertone, it may just be one of the year's most romantic movies.
