? What’s worse than a regular toxic relationship? One where supernatural forces are involved. Directed by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks, Together is Hollywood’s latest body horror film. It’s a simple premise: a man and a woman love each other so much that they fuse and become one person. Produced by and starring real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie, the movie presents a viscerally uncomfortable nightmare that continues to haunt us long after we’ve left the theatre.

Too close for comfort: Tim (Franco) and partner Millie (Brie) have been together for six years. Tim’s love for Millie runs deep — so much so that Millie’s own brother believes he has completely submitted to her, allowing her to control his life. But what takes over their lives comes after they decide to move to a village on the edge of a forest when Millie accepts a teaching position at a local school, and a sudden bout of thirst during a hike costs the couple dearly when they resort to the resources at hand.

The film explores the horror of mutual dependency in toxic relationships. What unites Millie and Tim is a tumultuous love that bears no solid future. Tim is lazy, indecisive, and avoids responsibility. He relies on his partner excessively, and although she’s aware of his flaws, she just can’t bring herself to leave.

A healthy dose of Platonic myth: The philosopher once parroted a creation story that depicts humans as powerful, double-sided beings with two heads, four arms and legs, whose scorn of the gods earned them some good old-fashioned punishment from Zeus — he split them in half, creating two people from each original being. Since then, humans have been searching for their other half to become whole again. This philosophy is strongly present in the film, albeit presented through the lens of horror, as Millie and Tim find themselves becoming one — whether they like it or not.

Visceral with hints of dark comedy that were perhaps unintentional, Together offers a new perspective on the body horror genre. The scenes in which the two protagonists merge were a horrifying masterclass of acting, and practical and CGI effects. The chemistry between Franco and Brie was center stage, but Brie’s performance gave Franco a run for his money. Our only complaint is that some scenes came across as filler, lengthening a film that didn’t need to be lengthened in the first place — though we’re sure more well-versed cinephiles have theories on their value.

One more thing — this film might be plagiarized. FestStudio filed a lawsuit accusing Franco, Brie, and Shanks of plagiarizing the script from 2023 film Better Half. The lawsuit states that Together bears striking similarities in terms of events, plotlines, characters, and even the final scene. But Shanks contends that the idea for Together came to him in 2019, inspired by his personal experience of breaking up with a past partner.

Disclaimer: The film is graphic and contains many a disturbing scene, making it unsuitable for many moviegoers, especially those new to the body horror genre.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can catch Together at VOX Cinemas at City Center Almaza and Mall of Egypt, City Stars Cinema, and Scene Cinema at CFCM and District 5. The movie is also screening at Cima Arkan and Zawya. Watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 2:16).

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