We’ve all met that couple. The one who won’t commit, but still lives together. Everyone else knows they should break up, but they never do. As difficult as their relationship is, being alone is much more terrifying. Together ‘s Millie ( Alison Brie ) and Tim ( Dave Franco ) are one such couple. After years of chasing the glory days of their 20s in the city, Tim and Millie are heading to the suburbs. Millie’s new teaching job necessitates a move out to the boonies, while Tim’s too old to make it as a rock star—that dream is over. His parents’ deaths also weigh heavily on him. Nightmares plague his sleep, suggesting the spiralling illness that took his mother might be growing inside him, too.
The film’s prologue doesn’t spare your feelings. Featuring two dogs and a frightening substance, it goes for the jugular right away, leaving viewers in dread, knowing what awaits Tim and Millie. If the end of The Substance was too much, you won’t make it through what this writer/director has in store. This may be New Zealand filmmaker Michael Shanks’ feature debut , but his direction and handle on tone suggest he has a bright future ahead. Tim and Millie most assuredly don’t .
The anxiety of new jobs, a new house, and no support structure fills the couple with dread. The only familiarity they have moving forward is each other. Tim is drowning, and the only life raft is Millie. Despite being closer than ever in proximity, the emotional gap between them becomes a chasm. Tim doesn’t blame Millie for taking a better job. Yet the resentment for his music career ending leaves a bitter aftertaste. The dissolution of self is painful.
Films like Possession and Midsommar tap into how relationships can chip away at identity. Together makes that fear literal. The impressive practical effects are horrifying to look at, but appreciated for their craftsmanship. Some CGI was necessary, but the film is largely a testament to indie filmmaking.
The terrors ramp up at night and then tension simmers during the day. Throughout their relationship, Millie’s been the invested one. Once they reach the suburbs, the dynamic shifts. Tim can’t handle it if Millie is too far away. He starts shaking and getting disoriented. When she leaves for work and he’s in the shower, his flesh starts dragging him closer to hers. Soon, her compassion turns to scorn. Tim can’t say “I’m sorry” enough, but Millie is well past caring. Tim also never learned to drive, so he needs her for all transportation. Yet for all his dependence on her, he still can’t get past the nagging feeling that she never took his music seriously. Brie and Franco carry both the comedic and emotional arcs beautifully. They land a joke one minute, then dig into the dread of, “Do I love this person or am I just used to them?”
Alison Brie and Dave Franco’s real-life marriage adds a layer of authenticity to the film’s harrowing relationship. Much like Eyes Wide Shut , there’s a particular brand of voyeurism in watching the couple dissolve. The two aren’t afraid to be vulnerable on camera, especially when the claws come out. The film plays into this dynamic as characters point out that Tim needs Millie more than she needs him. The resentments played out on camera couldn’t have been fun to take home after production ended. It’s like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, but if Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton went at each other with handsaws. They worked together onscreen before in Franco’s directorial debut, The Rental , but Together places the couple in claustrophobic territory.
However, ads may be setting an unrealistic expectation for Together . It isn’t an elevated horror film, but rather a hybrid of horror and comedy. I love horror-comedy hybrids , but the humour is darker, and Together unleashes it at all opportunities, not just as a release valve for the most horrific scenes. The world’s most painful marriage proposal unfolds like a slow-moving car crash, replete with tons of onlookers engaged in various stages of disgust. Together could hit harder, but the film takes pleasure in its reputation for midnight madness. The audience was very vocal throughout most of the showing, whether rolling in laughter or squealing in discomfort.
Shanks directs Together as a Rube-Goldberg device. Tim and Millie make decisions that no real person would make (drinking cave water!), but for the film to continue, each scene must happen. The plot feels like it’s on autopilot before things get really bad. Once the fantastical starts, Together relies on Brie and Franco’s natural chemistry to guide the audience to the film’s conclusion.
When Millie tells Tim, “ If we don’t separate now, it’s only gonna be more difficult, ” I couldn’t help but wonder, what if they released this on Valentine’s Day?
