Twisted Ties: "Together" Fuses Body Horror and Relationship Hell in a Gnarly Debut

The horror movie Together (2025) received its physical release through Neon (via Decal Releasing), the studio that distributed the film theatrically in the US and handled its home media rollout on formats like 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Directed by Michael Shanks in his impressive feature-length debut, the film is a supernatural body horror indie that cleverly literalizes the strains of a long-term relationship.

The story follows Tim (Dave Franco) and Millie (Alison Brie), a real-life married couple playing a long-term pair who relocate from the city to a remote countryside home in search of a fresh start. As underlying tensions in their relationship bubble up, a disturbing encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force begins to warp their connection in increasingly grotesque and literal ways, threatening not just their love but their very bodies and identities.

Without delving into specific spoilers, the narrative unfolds as a tight, character-driven descent that balances intimate drama with escalating horror. The pacing starts deliberately, allowing the audience to settle into the couple's dynamic and the isolated setting, before ramping up into more intense, visceral sequences. It maintains a focused rhythm throughout its roughly 100-minute runtime, avoiding unnecessary filler while building dread through escalating physical and emotional stakes.

Franco and Brie deliver standout performances, drawing on their real-life chemistry to make the relationship feel authentic and lived-in. Their portrayals capture the push-pull of affection, frustration, and codependency with nuance, making the horror feel emotionally grounded rather than purely exploitative. Supporting roles, including brief appearances from actors like Damon Herriman, add texture without overshadowing the central duo.

In terms of fear factor, Together leans more into unsettling discomfort and squirm-inducing revulsion than traditional jump scares, though it has moments that deliver genuine shocks. The body horror elements are the film's strongest feature. They are played out, through gory flesh fusing performance, as hyper-literal metaphors for relational entanglement that grow increasingly gnarly and inventive. The special effects, blending practical work with some visual enhancements, are highly effective. The delivery is grotesque, detailed, and often stomach-churning without feeling cheap or overly reliant on CGI. They land with a visceral punch that enhances both the horror and the thematic weight.

The soundtrack contributes significantly to the overall atmosphere, mixing eerie, organic sound design with tense, pulsing scores that amplify the sense of inescapable closeness and creeping wrongness. The film creates a claustrophobic, oppressive vibe, even in wide-open rural spaces through sound, lighting, and framing that make the couple's world feel suffocatingly intimate.

Overall, Together succeeds as a smart, darkly humorous, and thematically rich horror experience. The scripted storytelling is sharp and perceptive, using its premise to dissect codependency without preachiness. The acting elevates the material with raw authenticity; and the fear factor, while more grotesque than terrifying in a conventional sense, proves memorably effective and sticky. It's a bold debut that feels fresh in the body horror subgenre.

VERDICT:

I rate it "4 out of 5" for a thoroughly engaging, gory, and emotionally resonant overall experience.