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In Together, real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie portray Tim and Millie, a young couple who are about to leave the city in order for Millie to start a new job as a teacher in small town in the countryside.
With their relationship seemingly having lost much of its passion, Tim is reluctant to go with Millie, as the secluded location will make it harder for him to continue pursuing success as a musician, and the friction between them is palpable as he nonetheless joins her for the big move.
Trying to rekindle their love, the couple fumbles their way through well-meaning but lackluster attempts to get their spark back, but when a picturesque hike through the surrounding forest on a pleasant day suddenly turns into a torrential downpour in a foreign landscape, the pair soon find themselves to be lost.
As they scramble to find their way home, the seriousness of the situation escalates when they fall into a strange cave, where they decide to spend the night to hopefully be able to find a way out once daylight breaks.
However, the next morning, in spite of successfully being able to get out of the cave, something is terribly off, and Tim in particular begins to act increasingly strange, which raises questions about the true nature of the cave and what the couple may have encountered inside.
Bringing co-dependency to a new level, what unfolds is a supernatural mystery where the viewer is left as much in the dark as the protagonists, the reality of the horrors they experience slowly coming to light as body horror, dark humor and melodrama merge in a compelling blend.
Reassuringly, the chemistry between Franco and Brie is effortless and genuine, with everything from petty squabbles to tender moments portrayed with the delicate nuances you would expect from two people who know each other exceedingly well.
Neither of the leading pair can be described as the villain of the piece, as the couple’s dynamic instead mirrors the ebb and flow of a relationship where you have been together long enough to show someone your true self, for both better and worse.
Franco plays the dejected and disillusioned dreamer with nuance and humanity, avoiding becoming a disengaging stereotype, and instead ensuring the viewer can remain invested in him in spite of his flaws.
Brie’s funny bones are evident through her compelling approach to her seemingly happy-go-lucky character, showcasing sharp wit enveloped in a bubbly demeanor where depth and intensity broods beneath the surface.
The body horror is creative and cringeworthy for all the right reasons, purposefully leaning into dark comedy at times, but always keeping sight of maintaining a visceral quality in order to engage and disgust the viewer in equal measure.
Tonally, while the film is unapologetic about its sly approach to dark humor, the humanity of its characters and themes are never betrayed, propelling the film forward with a steady sense of unease where jump scares are used sparingly, instead allowing the emotional turmoil of the protagonists to be the driving force in this well-paced horror.
As the mystery is finally unravelled, the impact of the film’s final payoff will vary depending on personal tastes and individual ability to suspend disbelief, however, Together takes a winding, playful road filled with horror and humanity to get there, making it another fine and original effort in horror for 2025.
Verdict: 8 out of 10.
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