Hotly anticipated body horror “Together”, the directorial debut of Michael Shanks, hit our screens in the UK last month. Having heard mixed reviews, I was keen to get a chance to find out for myself on what side I stuck.
I’m very glad that 2024’s ‘The Substance’ seems to have paved the way for the weird to enter the mainstream. Never before did we think we would see a comically deformed creature regurgitate a boob on a screening at midday, available to the general public at cinemas nationwide (and with a Hollywood A lister, no less), but bitches – we have arrived.
Together is the perfect example of a film that may not be for everyone, but would have previously struggled to find backing, never mind attract well known names like Dave Franco and Alison Brie. No longer do genre fans have to trawl the depths of obscure forums to find disturbing and twisted tales, instead they are handily presented to us en masse whilst we recline in comfortable leather seats and sip our ICEE’s (other frozen beverages are available).
The story centres around mid 30s couple Tim (Franco) and Millie (Brie) as they embark on a new stage in their lives together, moving to a remote town for a quieter pace and change of direction.
Whilst school teacher Millie is keen to find her place in the homely environment, Tim seems to long for the bustle of the city left behind and desperately tries to clutch to his long held dreams of rock stardom.
It’s a compelling dilemma that will resonate with a lot of audiences as young love encounters challenges to withstand the test of time. Is love enough when what you ultimately want is so different? Quite quickly, we find the couple with differing visions for their lives forcefully pushed onto the same, unexpected path.
The notion of trouble in paradise appears early on, during a leaving party before the big move. Seeing the perfect moment, Millie takes the opportunity to propose to Tim in front of all of their friends, only to find him embarrassingly hesitant. The subsequent insecurities remain a growing undercurrent in their relationship, no matter how much the couple tries to bury them.
Whether Tim feels emasculated or is it afraid of the very notion of cementing his future, it is evident that he and Millie are not on the same page – a worrying realisation on the eve of their new chapter.
Nevertheless, the wheel is in motion and there is an unspoken agreement that it is too late to back out now, despite Millie’s sage warning that if they don’t split now it will just be more difficult to do so further down the line.
The couple undertake the move, a life event often cited as one of the most stressful events one can experience in life, and understandably the hairline cracks begin to grow. In an effort to rebuild some closeness, Tim and Millie agree to go on a hike in their new locale, only to find themselves trapped at the bottom of a cave during a storm.
Rather than try to escape immediately, the couple make the best of their situation, agreeing to resolve the issue once the storm has passed. A stark metaphor that follows the narrative through to the conclusion.
Together touches on repressed trauma, though rather than labour the point the viewer is given brief snippets and left to make their own conclusions. Tim is haunted by the memory of finding his distressed mother unable to leave the side of her husbands corpse. It’s only a flash, but it’s a haunting image that stays with you, though undoubtably twisted and enhanced by Tim’s own scarred memory. In many ways, Together has similarities with Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’, in the sense of dealing with familial trauma and the effects it can have on relationships. Whereas Midsommar’s Dani (Florence Pugh) learns strength in herself, ultimately distancing farther from her partner, the opposite happens with Tim and Millie.
In this new town, the couple only have each other and find themselves clinging to each other. Despite cracks in the relationship, they find themselves inexplicably drawn together as their sense of individuality starts to diminish.
Whilst the physical horror is an absorbing allegory, it is kept playful with comedy relief, such as the squirmy sex scene that will have you crossing your legs tightly together. As a 90’s kid, I also appreciated the unexpected inclusion of the Spice Girls ‘2 Become 1’, which really underlined the silly fun of the film.
As a hopeless romantic at heart, I am really intrigued to find out what others made of the relationship, allegories and ending. Do I have my head in the clouds for believing everyone deserves their fairytale romance and shouldn’t have to settle? Does Together instead depict the reality of a stable, long term relationship?
Overall, I really enjoyed Together. For me it’s very well balanced, dark and playful with a simple story and compelling subtext.
