When two become one – Beyond Bollywood

Your bachelor reviewer may not fully comprehend it, but the love, tension, friction, and shared trauma in this supernatural body horror serve as a sharp metaphor for codependency. Real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco bring a magnetic chemistry that makes it all feel lived-in and real

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

In a world of Plus, Pro, and Pro Maxes, there are just as many versions when it comes to horror too. And horror easily leads the pack with more than two dozen sub-genres. A supernatural body horror? Now that’s a new one for us. Turns out, body horror, also called biological horror,is all about showing grotesque or deeply unsettling distortions of the human body or other living forms. So yes, you brace for disturbing visuals but nothing really prepares you for what writer-director Michael Shanks delivers in Together (2025).

Backed by NEON, the American indie studio known for its genre-defying, often unsettling films, Together (2025) isn’t the first to reach Indian screens. Thanks to Impact Films, several of NEON’s bold, new-age titles have been making their way to India.

Even before its release, Together (2025) was caught in controversy after indie filmmaker Patrick Henry Phelan accused the film’s lead actors, Alison Brie and Dave Franco, of plagiarism. In a lawsuit, Phelan claimed he had pitched a similar story to their agency. He later went on to make Better Half (2023), which had a festival run.  Shanks had denied the allegations, claiming that his film is rooted in his own personal story of loved loss, with the story idea registered in 2019.

Well, who says only Bollywood copies? On a serious note, though, with the case sub judice, it would be premature to pass any judgment on Brie, Franco, Shanks, Kismet Movies or Neon. But both films draw inspiration from an ancient Greek mythology (Hermaphroditus).

Story

Tim (Franco) and Millie (Brie) are in a live-in relationship, with Millie ready to take the next step. She lands a new job in the countryside, and Tim decides to support her, moving in with her and even backing out of an upcoming music gig. His career may be struggling, but being with Millie means more to him than anything else.

On a hike through the woods, the two accidentally fall into a mysterious cave. They spend the night inside, but after that, something shifts. Their relationship grows tense, strange but they remain tightly bound to each other. As days pass, they begin to uncover the dark, disturbing secret the cave holds, one that could put their lives in danger.

Screenplay & Direction

Mythology and horror aside, Together works as a striking metaphor for codependency. Your bachelor reviewer might not fully relate, but the love, tension, friction, and shared trauma in this supernatural body horror say a lot about what it means to be deeply, sometimes painfully, entwined with someone.  

It’s a serious test of a relationship, with the mythological horror acting as both a blessing and a curse, a reflection of emotional entanglement. At its heart, the film gently reminds us that space is just as important as closeness in love. Together stays with you long after it ends.

Michael Shanks’ film leans into the fear of the unknown, steering clear of cheap jump scares and tired horror clichés. Here, it’s the intimacy that truly unnerves. From a time when Tim seemed distant and disinterested in sex, we now see him confidently walking into Millie’s school, where the two share a passionate moment in the boys’ restroom. It’s beautifully shot, what starts as sensual soon takes a dark turn, and you’re left wondering: how will they ever get out of this strange, twisted mess?

The grotesque moments are rare, but carefully used. The final visual is haunting, disturbing yet beautifully tied to its ‘two become one’ theme. Not quite the interpretation the Spice Girls had in mind when they sang it to the top of the charts.

At just 100 minutes, Shanks keeps you mostly engaged with sharp writing. Still, a few horror moments, especially the penultimate one, lose their edge thanks to what follows, slightly softening the impact. You also can’t help but wonder: if Tim and Millie could leave the cave so easily, why did they spend the night there in the first place?

Acting

We last saw Dave Franco as Jack Wilder in Now You See Me 2 (2016). Nine years is a long gap, but here, the 40-year-old leaves a strong impression as a struggling musician. He plays Tim with quiet restraint, a man slightly lost, living in the shadow of a more grounded partner. Franco captures the tension and passivity of someone drifting through life. Tim is haunted by childhood memories, and as horror often shows us, it’s the emotionally fragile who tend to draw in the darkest forces.

This was our first time watching Alison Brie on screen, and she makes quite an impression. As Millie, the more grounded and emotionally steady partner, Brie brings a quiet maturity to the role. That’s not to say Tim is immature, but Millie, being more settled in her career, carries a natural confidence and optimism.

In one standout moment, she’s the one who gets down on one knee. When Tim reacts with surprise, especially in front of their friends, Millie later gently asks him if he truly sees a future with her. For all her composure and emotional strength, she still can’t resist when Tim shows up at her school unexpectedly. As tension builds between them, Brie captures Millie’s growing unease with remarkable subtlety.

Back home in India, real-life couples on screen can sometimes fall flat. But here, the effortless, deeply felt chemistry between Brie and Franco is what really stitches Together.

Technical aspects

Neon-backed films often lean into gore, but Michael Shanks takes a different route, drawing chills from mythological undertones and the quiet unease between his lead characters. The forest setting adds its own layer of eerie isolation. Some of the most haunting moments come from Tim’s recurring nightmares, tied to the emotional scars of his past. A supernatural body horror like this demands a certain tolerance for unsettling imagery, but Shanks keeps it grounded, staying true to both the myth and the film’s deeper theme of codependency.

Final word

The plagiarism controversy may still hang over Together, but for many, Shanks’ film delivers a chilling experience unlike anything they’ve seen before. Globally, couples might find it harder to sleep easy after this one. The message lands loud and clear – space in a relationship isn’t just healthy, it’s necessary. As for viewers like this reviewer, the feeling is hard to shake: “Maybe I’m better off single than stuck in any relationship.”

Together is set to be released in India on 8 August.