By: Max Jasper

September 2, 2025

Michael Shanks’ 2025 romantic horror Together may just be one of the most eye-opening, jaw-dropping, and intense pieces of cinema I have ever seen.

For starters, what makes Together so compelling is its brilliant screenplay. Not only is it a fantastic character-focused script, but it also contains just enough substance for first-time viewers to grasp the inner workings of its protagonists.

Real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie play Tim and Millie, who move to the countryside so Millie can work as an elementary school teacher. This gives 35-year-old Tim the opportunity to figure out his life. However, while lost on a hike, they fall into what appears to be a man-made hole in the ground and must spend the night inside. Tim drinks from a suspiciously clean pool and shares the water with Millie. The next morning, they discover their legs are stuck together and must painfully peel them apart.

From that point on, Tim becomes possessed, feeling intensely attached to Millie. He abandons his band gig and finds her at school, where they make intense love in the boys’ bathroom. Then comes the most painful scene in the film: Tim becomes physically stuck inside Millie while in the stall. After a brief struggle, they separate, just in time for Millie to have an awkward encounter with her co-worker Jamie (Damon Herriman).

Aggravated and upset that Tim showed up at her school unannounced, Millie goes to apologize to Jamie at his nearby house. But she sees Tim outside and flees. Before Tim’s arrival, Jamie explains Plato’s theory of two humans needing one another to become whole.

Later that night, Tim investigates the disappearance of Simon (Michael Shanks) and Keri (Sarah Lang) and realizes they vanished near the same cavernous area he and Millie fell into. He theorizes that it is connected to his physical inability to be away from Millie. Millie then spooks Tim. Her body contorts, and she becomes physically drawn to him until Tim slaps her awake.

Tim shares his theory with Millie, which she dismisses. She tells him not to sleep with her, but he does anyway. Their physical connection intensifies, and after failing to consume and snort Tim’s muscle relaxants, they become fused together at the arms.

The next morning, Millie ties Tim to a chair, realizing his theory was correct. She saws through their fused limb, causing extreme pain and discomfort.

After separating, Millie decides they need to go to a hospital but realizes she left her car keys at Jamie’s place. She goes to retrieve them and warns Tim not to “do anything stupid.” Tim agrees, and Millie leaves. Tim then investigates the cave, where he encounters the mutated, two-headed humanoid creature that Simon and Keri have become. This gives both him and the audience a good scare.

Meanwhile, Millie enters Jamie’s house. She does not find Jamie but sees his wedding video eerily playing on a nearby TV. She recognizes the church in the video as the same one located in the hole she and Tim fell through. She watches in horror as two men fuse together. Jamie startles her, revealing himself as the result of that fusion. He assures Millie he is happier now that “he is whole” and implores her to complete the fusion process with Tim, insisting resistance is futile.

Millie resists. Jamie cuts her wrist with a knife, prompting her to punch him and flee. She reunites with Tim, who brandishes a knife and threatens to kill himself to protect her. Millie shows Tim her bleeding wrist. In a moment of sacrifice, Tim chooses to fuse with her wound to save her. The two slow dance and kiss to “2 Become 1” by the Spice Girls, embracing the transformation and fusing into a singular being.

That weekend, Millie’s parents (Tom Considine and Melanie Beddie) arrive at their house and are greeted by the completed fusion of Tim and Millie.

So, what does all of this mean? What is Together really about?

In my eyes, it is a story about change. The fusion process does not work properly if two beings resist it. Consider the dogs fused together at the beginning of the film, which I imagine is a nod to The Human Centipede. They resist the change and become a mutated monster. The same happens with Simon and Keri. But Jamie, who understands the process, embraces it. Though painful, he now lives happily. The same goes for Tim and Millie.

That is what Together is about: change. If you resist it, the process is painful. If you embrace it, the journey becomes smoother, though not without its hiccups. Humans are often so afraid of change that we choose comfort and unhappiness over autonomy and growth. Tim represents resistance to change, while Millie represents acceptance. They are perfect contrasts. Only when they embrace change are they freed from pain.

Despite the fantastic storytelling, compelling characters, and horrifying visuals, I had one issue with Together: the ending.

On paper, it is brilliant. Tim and Millie fusing is perfect. Millie’s parents arriving is even better. The audience immediately knows who they are. But showing what Tim and Millie look like as one is where it lost me. I believe the final shot should have been Millie’s parents reacting to the transformation, hearing Tim and Millie say “Hey,” and then a hard cut to black. Leaving “Tillie” (Tim plus Millie) to the audience’s imagination would have preserved the horror. Revealing the transformation weakened the impact and cost the film a perfect five-star rating, at least for me. Maybe I will appreciate it more on a rewatch.

Regardless of that one flaw, Together is a brilliant film. With a fantastic screenplay, electric chemistry between Franco and Brie, and unforgettable horror elements (I expected the body horror to disturb me more than it did, but strangely, it did not), Together is one of the best films I have seen this year. It even inspired me to start brainstorming ideas for a modern horror short film of my own. I love when a movie sparks that kind of creative hunger. Together did just that, and more.