Together
Director: Michael Shanks
Date Created: 2025-07-30 18:13
3.5
Pros
- Both gross and funny at the same time
- Who doesn't love a couple making a movie together?
- Effects were great
Cons
- That social media thread was ugh (BRB I'm Dying)
- Film Title: Together (Known in Canada as Inséparable)
- Director: Michael Shanks
- Stars: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman
- Distribution: Neon Rated
- Release Date: July 30, 2025 (United States)
- Countries of Origin: Australia, United States
- Filming Locations: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Review by: Mother of Movies
This review peels back the layers of “Together,” delving into its narrative and stylistic choices. We explain the ending of Together, the lore behind it and the truth behind the controversy surrounding the script. Elements discussed might be best discovered fresh on screen.
“Together”: A Bloody Meet Cute That Will Get Under Your Skin (Literally)
In the ever-evolving landscape of independent cinema, where the truly unique often lurk just beyond the mainstream radar, Mother of Movies is always on the hunt for those passion projects that defy easy categorization. Michael Shanks’ feature film directorial debut, Together, distributed by Neon Rated, is precisely that kind of beast. This Australian-American collaboration, filmed in Melbourne, Victoria, is a top-tier psychological and body horror, wrapped in the intimacy of a relationship on the brink. Forget your conventional romantic dramas; Together takes the existential dread of coupledom and externalizes it into something you can see, a nightmare where the ties that bind aren’t just metaphorical.
We kick off deep in the woods, a setting that immediately signals a departure from the comfort of the familiar. A lone hunter, low to the ground, a suspicious hole nearby, it’s a classic horror setup, yet Shanks imbues it with an immediate sense of unease. Pan down that hole, past a solitary bell, into darkness, where two dogs stare, utterly terrified, at what lies beyond: more hole. Roots, water, a drink taken, then a whistle from the hunter. But the dogs, once loyal, are now locked in an intense, unmoving gaze with each other.
A missing poster flutters on a clipboard, a silent premonition. When the hunter hears a howl in the midnight wind, the man eventually discovers his dogs… joined together like something from the end of The Thing. This opening sequence isn’t just a jump scare; it’s an overture, promising a narrative that will merge the mundane with the monstrous.
The aesthetic of Together is immediately striking. The coloring is a deliberate choice: dark, washed out vibey colors, not crisp or brightly focused, almost blurry, but not, cleanly focused. This visual style is more than just a filter; it’s mirroring the hazy, distorted reality that Tim and Millie are about to enter. It’s a beautifully executed visual language.
The Unraveling Threads of “Together 2025”
At its core, Together is a relationship drama, albeit one that quickly veers into the absurd. We meet Dave Franco’s Tim and Alison Brie’s Millie, a real-life couple whose on-screen chemistry, naturally, is palpable. This adds an extra layer of tragic irony to their characters’ disintegration. The film opens with a profound, almost poetic prelude:
“When I die, I don’t want someone else’s life flashing across my mind.”
It’s uttered by Tim’s friend, minutes before Millie delivers an awkward, alcohol-fueled proposal to Tim.
His “WTF” before a reluctant “yes” sets the tone for a relationship already fraying at the edges. They blame the alcohol, they argue about marriage, and Tim’s inability to perform only compounds the tension. This isn’t just a bad patch; it’s a foundation built on shaky ground, where resentment and unspoken fears fester.
As they move to the country, supposedly for a fresh start, the subtle cracks in their relationship begin to manifest in horrifying ways. Tim, ever the pragmatist, dismisses his growing unease and bizarre nightmares as mental health issues. But the discovery of a rat fusion, five rats joined by their tails, in their new home’s light fixture. It’s the first undeniable sign that something deeply odd is at play. This isn’t just a small detail; it’s a powerful symbol, another foreshadowing of the literal merging that awaits. Michael Shanks leverages these practical effects and subtle cues to build a pervasive sense of dread.
Into the Woods: A Cult of Connection
The narrative plunges into the abyss when Tim and Millie, exploring the woods near their new home on Pitt Road, stumble upon the overgrown hole from the opening. Lost, caught in a downpour, they fall, together. It’s here, at the bottom of the shaft, where the scared dogs once stood, that they drink the weird water. This seemingly innocuous act is the catalyst for their horrifying transformation. Soon, their legs are glued together at the calf, leading to a desperate, painful severance. The red welts are just the beginning.
Enter Damon Herriman’s Jamie, the friendly neighbor. Herriman, known for his ability to exude both charm and menace, is perfectly cast here. He’s the welcoming face, the one who shares the ancient Greek myth from Plato’s Symposium about humans originally being born with multiple limbs before being split, a myth that becomes chillingly relevant. As the narrative progresses, it becomes clear that Jamie is more than just an affable local. His house, with its physical bell (complete with a recurring cult symbol), his subtle probing of Millie’s relationship status, and his revelation about a mass suicide at a nearby chapel all point to a deeper, more sinister involvement.
His claim, “I am the neighborhood”, takes on a profoundly disturbing meaning as we realize he is, in fact, the result of a previous fusion. Keen eyes will have noticed that this is subtly hinted at by his two wedding rings and absent husband. This aspect of the film triggers the underbelly of societal pressures to conform. To lose oneself in a relationship, and the insidious nature of cults that prey on vulnerability.
The Unholy Union: Body Horror and Psychological Fallout
As Tim’s body begins to rebel, slamming against shower walls, his eyes flickering, his movements inexplicably tied to Millie’s car, the film escalates its body horror elements with a relentless intensity. The scene where Millie wakes to find Tim choking on her hair, later pulling a long strand from his mouth, is a moment of memorable horror. His initial dismissal of these events as mental health issues highlights a form of gaslighting, not necessarily malicious, but born of fear and denial, making Millie question her own sanity.
The ultimate climax arrives after their desperate attempts to separate. The hallway scene, where Tim slides uncontrollably towards Millie, their bones cracking as they begin to merge, is a cinematic glory hole. The VFX work, a collaborative effort between Framestore, Larry Van Duynhoven’s practical prosthetics, and Genevieve Camilleri’s meticulous compositing, creates what would eventually be the end result.
Shanks deliberately opted for a final form that is “a regular person that you would walk by in the street and not notice.” Yet that last camera focuses on an undeniable amalgamation of Brie and Franco. This grounds the fantastical horror in a plausible reality.
The final, brutal decision to consciously merge, set to the ironic tune of “When Two Become One,” is a darkly humorous commentary on the destructive potential of codependency and the insidious nature of certain societal expectations of relationships. The ending, with their parents arriving for Sunday lunch and ringing the bell now housed with the symbol from the cave, only to find the unrecognizable “Tillie,” leaves a lasting impression, ensuring that Tim and Millie are now truly “missing” in every sense of the word.
Michael Shanks, in his debut, has crafted a film that is not only visually inventive but also conceptually rich. Dave Franco and Alison Brie deliver performances that are both physically demanding and emotionally raw, navigating their characters’ descent into madness and fusion with commitment.
Rating
TOGETHER is rated
3 Fused Souls Out of 5
Controversy & Conversation Around “Together”
| Issue | 📌 Key Points |
|---|---|
| The Lawsuit | Indie producers of Better Half claim Together mirrors their 2023 film too closely—right down to certain body-horror scenes. |
| Accusation | They argue Franco & Brie’s project “lifted” the script and turned it into a bigger-budget version. |
| Defense | The Together team insists their script was registered with the WGA back in 2019, before Better Half existed, calling the lawsuit “frivolous.” |
| Creative Spin | Plaintiffs frame it as plagiarism; defendants say the “fused couple” idea isn’t new and the tones are worlds apart (dark horror vs. quirky indie). |
| Where It Stands | No ruling yet, the debate adds a strange meta-layer to a film that’s literally about being inseparable. |
SPOILER SECTION: The Ties That Bind, Unraveled
For those who have seen Together or simply crave to know its darkest secrets, here are the key revelations and insights that deepen the film’s horrifying narrative:
- The Rat King’s Prophecy: Early in the film, Tim discovers several rats stuck together by their tails in the light fixture. This “rat king” phenomenon is a real, albeit rare, occurrence and serves as a potent foreshadowing of Tim and Millie’s eventual physical merging.
- The Prosthetic Challenge: Dave Franco and Alison Brie endured hours wearing the prosthetic that merged their arms, even taking bathroom breaks together. This practical commitment adds an authentic, visceral layer to their on-screen transformation.
- Realistic Props: Director Michael Shanks’ long-term partner, Louie McNamara, who worked for a sex toy company, provided very realistic artificial genitalia free of charge for an intense bathroom stall sex scene. Prosthetics Designer Larry Van Duynhoven further enhanced them with pubic hair for authenticity.
- Jamie’s True Nature: Damon Herriman’s character, Jamie, hints at his true identity with the line, “I am the neighborhood,” foreshadowing his status as more than one person.
- The Birth of Tillie: The combined form of Tim and Millie at the film’s climax is affectionately referred to as “Tillie” by Alison Brie.
Jamie’s Cult Connection (Detailed):
- Jamie’s initial keen interest in Millie and her relationship status isn’t just flirtation; it’s part of his plan to indoctrinate them.
- He’s the most welcoming townsfolk, not just a good neighbor, but a member of the mysterious fusion cult. He also conveniently lives by the reservoir, the source of the cult’s transformative water.
- His house lacks a doorbell, instead featuring a physical bell, explicitly linking him to the cult’s symbolism.
- Millie’s lack of merging changes after she visits Jamie’s house and drinks his water, which is implied to be from the cult’s reservoir.
- Jamie quotes Plato’s Symposium myth about humans originally having multiple limbs before being split. This myth is a central symbol for the fusion cult.
- Jamie wears two wedding rings and mentions a husband who “came back,” strongly suggesting he himself has already undergone the cult’s fusion, becoming the result of two people merging into one.
The Art of Tillie: While Framestore handled heavy CGI for the hallway scene and Larry Van Duynhoven did practical prosthetics, the final “Tillie” shot was a blend of makeup and old-school compositing by VFX supervisor Genevieve Camilleri. The goal was to create a “regular person” who was still immediately recognizable as an amalgamation of Brie and Franco, achieved by compositing elements of both their faces onto Brie’s, complete with Franco’s eyebrows and brown contacts.
Philosophical Roots of Fusion: The cult’s beliefs extend beyond Plato, reflecting the alchemical concept of the Rebis, the merging of two extremes (masculine and feminine) to create a whole, often hermaphroditic being, mirroring Tillie’s androgynous form.
Symbolic Attire: Millie initially notes she and Tim wore matching clothes, prompting Tim to change his jacket to symbolize distance. However, post-fusion, “Tillie” wears that very same initial outfit, signifying their irreversible, true merging.
More Information About the Film Together 2025
- Official Movie Page: Neon Rated
- Related Article (Body Horror Genre): Film Ink is in Australia’s too, so here is their review because Mother of Movies is Australian, too.
- The Curb is another Australian film site that reviewed “Together”. Read their review below.
- Body Horror? LifeChanger and HellCat should be on your watchlist.
Trailer for Together 2025
