Together might not have started out as an interrogation of gender, but it accidentally became the queerest horror film of the year anyway.
It also happens to be one of the year’s best, too
The film, which comes from first-time feature director Michael Shanks and stars Alison Brie and Dave Franco (who also produced the movie), introduces audiences to Tim and Millie (Franco and Brie, respectively), an outwardly happy, middle-class, unmarried couple on the eve of a big milestone in their relationship. Millie, a teacher, has taken a new job outside the city, and Tim has agreed to come along, potentially leaving behind his dreams of rock stardom.
Tim is also wracked with grief over the loss of his father, which has taken a toll on their intimacy — something Millie is willing to look past, but that secretly gnaws at her.
In other words, just beneath the surface of this relationship simmers a stew of resentment and insecurity. The question at the heart of the film is whether they really want to commit to a lifetime together — flaws and all — or if they should, wait for it, no longer be together.
Moving away from their friends and Tim’s gigs only puts more pressure on the fault lines of their already fractured connection. To reconnect, they go for a hike, only to stumble — quite literally — into an underground chamber where something they encounter sets off a chain reaction. What follows is a feverishly toxic bond that only grows more intense... especially when their very flesh seems to want to fuse — once again — together.
It’s a concept born from Shanks’ own romantic history. Like his principal characters, he and his partner have been together since they were quite young, and the film reflects his own anxieties around commitment, toxic enmeshment, and loss of identity.
“It’s about how crazy it is in any relationship to kind of fully commit to somebody, to share a life with somebody,” he tells PRIDE. “It's a weird and scary kind of thing to do.”
It’s a dynamic that anyone, regardless of sexuality or gender, can relate to — but how it’s expressed in the film is where things take a surprising left turn into a post-gender world.
It’s challenging to discuss without revealing the film's many twists and turns. But without venturing too far into the weeds, the film presents a mythology that renders gender obsolete and even a symptom of something fundamentally broken in humanity.
It also features a pivotal queer character who serves as both witness and confidant to Millie and Tim as their life transition becomes more of a — shall we say — transformation.
Brie is proud of the way the character's presence is treated casually, and she emphasizes the importance of that approach. “You don't always have to be making a commentary on it — really, just reflecting the way the world is, where we have all types of couples,” she tells PRIDE.
Although the film takes a darker view on the subject, in Together, love really is love. As a result, couples of all varieties will see their anxieties and emotions reflected in the story — even Brie and Franco, who are married to one another and creative partners together, found themselves reflecting on their own dynamics while making the film. “We had a lot of discussions about the differences between toxic codependency and maybe sort of like mild codependency,” says Brie. “I think we came to realize that we have some codependent tendencies in our relationship, but because of our jobs, we actually end up spending a lot of time apart, so we're able to cultivate really good independence and social circles away from each other. Then, when we come back and work together, it feels really nice.”
“It’s healthy to kind of miss each other from afar every once in a while,” adds Franco to PRIDE. “We don’t really have many boundaries, and it might kind of become the toxic version of codependency,” he jokes.
Although the film is doubtlessly body horror, it’s a rare entry in the subgenre that offers some lightness. Part of that comes from the sharp comedic edge of its cast — and it makes great use of more, shall we say, visceral moments for some shockingly funny sight gags. “We were debating the other day if this is the first feel-good body horror movie. You do kind of walk away wanting to, like, dance and move your body and you're feeling good,” says Franco. Although he also admits with a laugh, “We've also heard from single people who’ve seen the movie who have said, ‘This is a strong argument for staying single.’”
Regardless of where audiences fall on that spectrum, they will undoubtedly also be presented with some fascinating questions about gender, what a post-gender world would look like, and if we’re better off without it all.
Intentionally or not, the film presents those fascinating questions and leaves you with plenty more to chew on — which is the sign of a great horror film. Together is the most romantic, queerest, and funniest body horror film in recent memory. Brie and Franco are perfectly cast, and their real-life chemistry shines through. It’s a rom-com for sickos and queer folks — and that’s the highest compliment I can give a film.
Together is out now in theaters. Check out the trailer below.