Neon’s horror flick Together may seem like an odd choice to be a post-Christmas chaser, but it’s already one of Hulu‘s most popular movies right now.
Real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie portray Tim Brassington and Millie Wilson, a couple who are struck with an unnatural curse that begins fusing them together.
Together is writer/director Michael Shanks‘ first feature-length film, and it was a modest hit with $34.5 million worldwide.
Now that the film is streaming, Watch With Us recommends watching Together, even if some of its graphic horror scenes are hard to take.
Franco and Brie’s Real Relationship Makes ‘Together’ More Convincing
Putting Franco and Brie in the leading roles of Together was more than just stunt casting. Their shared history plays really well on-screen when they step into the roles of Tim and Millie. Even though the couple is going through some serious relationship problems, the connection between them still seems real and genuine. In fact, without the horror aspect of this story, Together would work pretty well as a romantic drama/comedy.
This movie isn’t played for laughs, but there are some darkly funny moments, especially when Tim and Millie get desperate enough to take extreme measures. It’s hard to fake the chemistry Franco and Brie have on display throughout the entire movie, and it makes the entire experience more believable. The circumstances of their fusion may be fictional, but the couple themselves look and act like real people. That’s a refreshing change from the norm in the horror genre.
The Film’s Body Horror Is Genuinely Unsettling
The next thing you need to know about Together is that its body horror moments can get pretty disgusting. You should probably avoid eating when watching this movie. The budget for this film hasn’t been officially stated, but it looks like Shanks got the most out of the very limited funds they had to work with. Simple editing and acting convey the connection between Tim and Millie when they’re far away from each other. When they’re close and their flesh starts to blend together, that’s when things get gross.
This premise hasn’t been done to death by other horror movies, which is one of the reasons why it stands out. Together doesn’t overdo the scenes where Tim and Millie can’t break physical contact, but it does add variety to them. One scene builds out of a strong physical desire for each other, while another becomes the ultimate romantic gesture, given the circumstances. But when the pair have to use violent ways to separate, it becomes hard to watch for the squeamish.
I’m not one of them — I like that Together isn’t afraid to show how a couple can become literally inseparable. It shares a similar go-for-broke spirit with The Substance, the 2024 Oscar-nominated horror movie that wasn’t shy about illustrating the damaging effects of Hollywood’s youth obsession on an aging actress (Demi Moore). Together is perhaps more unsettling, as it probes how something we deem safe — the intimacy that comes with relationships — and finds it not only imperfect but also terrifying.
The Ending of ‘Together’ Is Off the Wall
I’m not going to spoil the ending for Together here, but I will say that the chosen conclusion carries things through in a logical way, even though it’s a surprising and off-the-wall creative choice. The final moments leave some unanswered questions about what would come next, but this was the right way to end the story.
There is some inherent suspension of disbelief that goes along with the idea behind Together, but the filmmakers and the cast did such a great job that it’s easy to go with it. This film seems destined for cult status among horror flicks and maybe even more if it maintains its momentum on Hulu.
Together is streaming on Hulu.
