Together

We were excited to see an early viewing and so pleased. This was a really enjoyable watch if you're looking for something grotesque and delightfully sick. Some story points were a bit predictable, but it was a truly unique experience and left my skin crawling. I found it to be a really enjoyable summer horror flick.

I love when Dave Franco and Allison Brie act together in a movie. They have great chemistry (duh) and some of the scenes where they had to be intimate seemed very real.

Together was fun, weird, had its dark humorous moments and the special effects were pretty good! It's original, there's plot points that are a bit predictable, but overall I do think it was original.

I honestly really liked the story. I try not to watch trailers close to opening day because they show more for some reason.

At the end of the day, this movie is going to be polarizing. You'll either love that it or hate it.

I loved it!

Going into this film completely blind is the play. Absolutely bonkers.

I appreciate an original horror story when it gets executed to perfection. Funny, cringey (in a good way) and downright absurd.

The story is interesting enough and follows cult/folk lore but the performances by Franco and Brie are the high point. Their chemistry is perfect and believable. The film highlights themes of co-dependency and fear of commitment in a truly insane way.

Granted, there are cliched moments that are usually present in the horror genre. And yes, such moments are in this film, but it definitely doesn't take away from the wild ride. This film reminiscences elements from "The Substance" but it warrants its own distinction.

Definitely up there with one of the best horror movies of the year.

Rating - 6.9: Overall, a decent body horror movie that has well-executed horror sequences and good chemistry between Dave Franco and Alison Brie; but I personally wasn't a big fan of the conflict once it's revealed and thought the movie was very cringey at times.

Direction - Decent to Pretty Good: The direction on a macroscale takes influences from horror movies like "Hereditary" and "Barbarian" with how it builds the conflict and the world, but has some comedic flavors; the direction on a microscale is too corny and white-couple-centric that it was too cringey to sit through, though there were some humorous moments I did enjoy; the storytelling is similar to "Hereditary" and "Barbarian" in how it searches for the conflict, then goes full send after it is revealed; they build tension very well, especially when building up the body horror sequences

Story - Decent to Pretty Good: The concept is pretty unique and interesting, but I really wasn't that big a fan of the actual conflict once it is revealed; the plot structure is similar to "Hereditary" and "Barbarian" in the way the movie tries to build up to the conflict reveal, then goes full speed towards the climax once it hits the inflection point; the character writing is decent

Screenplay - Decent to Pretty Good: The dialogue is too cringey and very stereotypically white; the humor is pretty prevalent, mainly because of the director and actors' comedy backgrounds; the symbolism is there, but I don't know if I am too much of a fan of it; the foreshadowing is very good as the movie drops clues on what the conflict is, well in advance of its reveal

Acting - Pretty Good: Dave Franco - Decent to Pretty Good (Basically, he plays every character he always plays; he has good chemistry with Brie, mainly because they are actually married), Alison Brie - Pretty Good to Good (Really takes control of the movie as she has charisma and good screen presence; she has good chemistry with both main cast members, but especially with Franco), Damon Herriman - Pretty Good (He plays his role well and has good chemistry with Brie), Rest of the cast - Pretty Good (The cast is really small, but the main cast does work together well)

Score - Decent: Helps set tension and tone

Cinematography - Pretty Good: Feels well-shot, especially with the budget's size

Editing - Pretty Good: Feels well-edited, especially considering the budget's size

Sound - Pretty Good: Helps build tension

Visual Effects - Good: Despite its low budget, the visual effects blended with the practical effects help make this movie look realistic, especially in the body horror sequences

Makeup - Very Good: Done very well to help create the body horror sequences

Pacing - Pacing is two-pronged because it is slow toward the conflict reveal, then very fast afterward; while the pacing was intentional, I would have liked to have seen maybe 10 minutes cut from the buildup to the climax to make the movie feel more balanced

Climax - Climax is executed well, even the resolution is a little forced

Tone - The tone is very body horror but has comedic flavors

Final Notes - Saw the Texas premiere at SXSW.

I'll be honest when I say that the trailers never properly sold me on this movie, it made it seem like a completely different movie than what we got.

The concept is really unique. While there's been some chatter online about possible plagiarism, that's not my place to weigh in on. What I can say is that this film stands on its own with a bold and bizarre approach. The effects are striking, and some moments hit a level of fear and discomfort that really stays with you. It does an excellent job portraying anxiety and the disorienting terror of dreams that blur into reality.

Dave Franco delivers what might be his best performance to date, giving the character a desperate vulnerability that anchors the whole thing. Alison Brie complements him perfectly, and their chemistry helps ground the madness with emotional weight and some dark humour.

It's disturbing, oddly beautiful and full of surprises. If you're into surreal horror with emotional undercurrents and a touch of body horror, it's absolutely worth checking out.