Together

This is a great Body horror film that might have been missed, and it is a good thing I haven't missed it. Kudos to Chris Stuckman that recommended this one. Since he became a critic that doesn't disses films, I understand that if he uploads a review, it is a sign that the films was worth watching. This is exactly the case.

Dave Franco and Alison Brie are, apparently, a married couple in real life, so this experiment of a movie with a message about relationships and how they reflect to both sides of the bond, was an interesting one. How will both actors survive each other, working together on the same movie set.

This was and still it was interesting to hear an interview with both, to understand how this experience was from each side. In the movie they are a couple that haven't been married yet. He is clinging to the idea he can fulfill his musical dreams and not just as a Hobbie and she is, of course, fully dedicated to her career and trying to change scenery, to maximize her side of potential (and salary will also be nice).

They both move to a new place, village, if we may call it and then troubles start happening, as they should, In a classic horror movie genre. Michael Shanks is a short movies director and not a lot of experience is mentioned in his filmography. It is certainly the best work of his, since...ever and it is interesting to see what he will make next in line.

The movie is not actually scarry in the old fashioned way. It has some gore in it, it is well shot and there are a lot of horrifying bits and pieces, but towards the end, we get the body horror effect and the movie, as those genre films always go, gets wild, but not to wild and graphic, which I like and respect.

Personally, I don't like the body horror genre, because it feels, for several stages, that the director is over trying to make his audience disgusted. This one is made so well, that even the parts that made me want to vomit, were somehow digestible. The best thing is the high tension of this movie and the fact it grabs the audience by the neck and doesn't let go.

And this is also a movie that makes you think. About relationships in general, about your relationship and of course it makes us think about the relationship of the couple in the movie, that feels like they've done each and every mistake that is demonstrated in the book of mistakes in relationships.

It is a problem to try and detach the eyes from this movie. It is well directed and both main actors makes great work and can gladly get back home with great payment to do what they love - together. It had a lot of mystery; it is great as thriller and excellent as a body horror genre movie. Great Jog.

"Humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves." Plato, The Symposium

Although the current horror film Together doesn't pretend to parse Plato's discourse on love, it relies heavily on the idea that true love is the comingling of minds and bodies that were once separated by Zeus out of envy. Tim (David Franco) and Millie (Alison Brie) spend time in a country house seeking to regain the passion they once had.

After a stroll that ends up in a cave (how very Platonic!), they devolve into maddened humans, literally getting under each other's skin. The visuals, even without excessive CGI, are body horror at its best, and allegorically land us in discussion about what love means and how it affects the struggling relationship the drama began with.

Thematically Together wishes to show how much the stressed couple loves each other, even willing to sacrifice their very flesh to reconcile their affections. No couple in the audience can ignore the commentary on the emotional demands of love, the millennial fear of commitment, and the strains that modern lonely life make on romance.

After all, Millie has sacrificed a higher teaching order to take a rural job while he is still at 35 years old trying to play in an indie-rock band. His intermittent impotency, while understandable given his lack of professional success, still seems like a major impediment to taking their love to the next level.

While treating the aud to some icky body horror, writer-director Michael Shanks comments on the challenges of modern living that needs the therapy of communal sharing, of overcoming horrors together to emerge from that cave together toward the future.

Together follows Tim and Millie, who find themselves at a crossroads when they move to the countryside, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.

The film sets everything up well. The characters, the relationship, the setting. I liked all that. The story itself was good, but the overall experience felt a bit flat and underwhelming. Things should have happen faster. When the horror, tension, or weirdness finally shows up, it's good. But it doesn't stay there. It never really sits in the moment. More time should have been spent in those moments once they happened, not necessarily more things to happen. It felt like the film was holding back when it should've leaned in. More should've happened emotionally and visually. It felt like it could've gone deeper or darker, and I was ready for it. That's one of my big issues with the film. The body horror and supernatural elements are there, but they could've gone harder with it.

The trailer gave away a lot, so if you've seen it, you've probably already caught most of the big horror moments. That takes away some of the surprise, which is a shame, because the film does have its own story to tell. It's straightforward and easy to follow.

What worked really well was the emotional side of it. The relationship felt real. You could see yourself in these two people, and what they're going through feels honest. Dave Franco and Alison Brie are great together. You can tell they're a real couple. There's a natural chemistry between them that makes everything feel more believable, especially as things start to fall apart. There are also a few funny little moments between them that break up the tension in a nice way, without messing with the overall vibe.

Overall, Together is a solid but not groundbreaking horror/drama. It explores some interesting ideas. I just wish it had pushed things further emotionally and visually. It had all the right pieces. It just didn't go far enough with them.

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.

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.