Body horror ‘Together’ is cornier than frightening

CEBU, Philippines —  Dave Franco and Alison Brie may be one of the happiest couples in Hollywood, but on the big screen, they play longtime lovers who have to fight for their relationship despite the weariness they sometimes feel toward each other.

In Neon’s latest horror film “Together,” distributed in the Philippines by Pioneer Films (known as Viewers’ Choice Philippines), Australian writer-director Michael Shanks puts the real-life couple in the shoes of Tim and Millie, who move out of the city after Millie accepts a teaching job in the countryside. Tim, still pursuing his dream of becoming a musician, compromises by traveling long distances back to the city for gigs.

While they still love each other, unspoken issues linger in their relationship, particularly Tim’s emotional distance after the death of his parents. In an effort to patch their relationship, they decide to go on a hike in the woods near their new residence, only to accidentally fall into a shallow cave. Stranded by the heavy rain, they camp out for the night.

Soon after they got out, the couple began witnessing strange occurrences, as supernatural forces compelled them to position their bodies toward each other in unsettling ways.

The film’s premise asks whether familiarity truly breeds contempt, placing the couple at odds through their differing perspectives on love and commitment. This heightens the tension of their predicament.

It lives up to its promise of being a body horror flick that will surely leave audiences uneasy. At the same time, it falls short on the violent imagery teased in its trailer. What you see in the promos is largely the level of gore you’ll see in the final cut, depending on how much bodily harm you can stomach.

Even in its R-16 cut in the Philippines, where 12 seconds were trimmed to secure the rating from the MTRCB, you’ll likely not notice much of a difference.

“Together” shows a lot of promise in how romance, drama, and body horror can fuse as we get to know the characters better. However, its final act, where a major plot twist emerges, is where it starts to fall apart.

The twist itself isn’t inherently bad, but it feels unearned, as if some plot points were glossed over, and its execution comes off clumsy before the big reveal. It’s the cinematic equivalent of an irremovable stain on the wall being hastily covered by white paint.

What makes matters worse is that it closes on a note that softens the film’s darker themes. Instead of a haunting or impactful resolution, it ends on a note that comes across as cornier than clever.

Franco and Brie carried the film with their strong performances and chemistry. Beyond the fact that they are married since 2017, they clearly understand their characters, delivering believable portrayals of two lovers with different mindsets that feel like one cohesive performance.

“Together” is best watched with others rather than alone to share the agony. Couples may relate to it more deeply, making it an interesting date movie, while groups of friends might treat it as an amusing team-building activity. Whichever way it’s watched, Franco and Brie make it worth seeing at least once. But that doesn’t excuse its shortcomings, which leave it a disappointing horror story that fails to live up to its interesting premise. Two and a half stars out of five.