Movies - Together : Michael Shanks' Unsettling Body Horror Debut Electrifies Sundance and Readies for Global Release

By Mulder, 28 may 2025

There’s something eerily poetic about a married couple, in real life and on screen, descending into an intimate, physiological nightmare that neither love nor logic can cure. Together, the directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks, boldly merges domestic drama with grotesque supernatural horror, landing squarely in the realm of Cronenbergian body terror—yet with a surprisingly emotional core. Starring real-life spouses Alison Brie and Dave Franco, the film premiered to roaring interest in the Midnight section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, where it immediately caused a bidding frenzy. The final prize? Neon securing global rights for a staggering $17 million, the first major deal of the festival and one that instantly confirmed Together as one of 2025’s breakout indie sensations.

The story follows Tim and Millie, a couple whose decision to abandon urban life for a quiet existence in the countryside instead exposes the fractures in their relationship. Already strained, their bond begins to splinter further when they encounter a mysterious force that doesn’t just haunt their surroundings but begins to insidiously reshape their very bodies. What begins as eerie discomfort quickly spirals into visceral horror, with Shanks delivering a script that turns every marital miscommunication and private resentment into physical grotesquerie. And yet, amid the unsettling body horror and nightmarish metamorphoses, what truly lingers is the film’s emotional honesty—how love can wither, mutate, and be devoured from within.

It’s no small irony that Brie and Franco, a couple known off-screen for their effortless charm and warmth, plunge into such a dark and vulnerable portrayal of intimacy under siege. In many ways, their real-life chemistry adds a devastating authenticity to the horror. When the film screened at Sundance, audience members reported audible gasps during key moments, not from the gore alone, but from the emotional devastation layered within. It's a testament to Shanks' directorial prowess that Together not only captures the bodily horror with precision (thanks to Germain McMicking’s haunting cinematography and Sean Lahiff’s razor-sharp editing) but also finds moments of tragic beauty in the most terrifying circumstances.

Behind the scenes, the film's production was a cross-continental effort. Financed and produced by 30West, Tango Entertainment, and Picturestart, with additional support from 1.21 and Princess Pictures, the team assembled a crew that believed in the power of disturbing love stories. The haunting score by Cornel Wilczek layers the film with unease, while the slow-burning tension is amplified by the minimal yet surreal rural setting, making the couple’s isolation feel oppressive and inescapable. This choice of setting—empty fields, decaying barns, and soundless nights—evokes a kind of psychological purgatory, amplifying the horror that arises not from jump scares, but from watching familiar bodies become alien, and familiar love become monstrous.

Following the Sundance success, Together was chosen as the opening night film for the Sydney Film Festival on June 4, 2025, where it also enters official competition. It's a significant homecoming for Michael Shanks, whose leap from web-based sci-fi shorts to major feature filmmaking has been nothing short of meteoric. For those who followed his early work, Together is not just a surprise—it’s a culmination of a singular vision. The choice of Kismet Movies to distribute the film in Australia further underscores its domestic significance, while in the U.S., its July 30 release (moved up from August 1) through Neon signals high confidence in its summer theatrical performance, a rarity for a body horror debut.

Interestingly, early footage and trailers, such as the haunting teaser available on YouTube, have already prompted comparisons to Possession, The Fly, and even Hereditary, suggesting that Together may stand alongside recent modern horror milestones. But perhaps what most differentiates Together is how it takes the metaphor of two people growing apart—and grotesquely literalizes it. Their transformations are not just metaphors. They're irreversible, shocking, and deeply tragic. And in that grotesque, there is a heartbreaking beauty.

Michael Shanks may be a first-time feature director, but with Together, he’s already reshaping the genre landscape. As anticipation mounts ahead of its theatrical release and its competition run at Sydney, one thing is clear: Together isn’t just a horror movie. It’s an intimate catastrophe wrapped in skin and sinew, a love story mutated into something unforgettable. For horror fans, cinephiles, and those fascinated by the dark intersections of love and identity, Together is one of the year’s essential cinematic experiences.

Synopsis :
Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) have been together for years when they decide to give up everything and move to the countryside. With tensions already running high, a supernatural force turns their dream into a nightmare, threatening their relationship, their love... and even their physical integrity.

Together
Written and directed by Michael Shanks
Produced by Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Mike Cowap, Andrew Mittman, Erik Feig, Max Silva, Julia Hammer, Tim Headington
Starring Alison Brie, Dave Franco
Cinematography : Germain McMicking
Edited by Sean Lahiff
Music by Cornel Wilczek
Production companies : 30West, Tango Entertainment, Picturestart, 1.21, Princess Pictures
Distributed by Neon (United States), Metropolitan FilmExport (France)
Release dates : January 26, 2025 (Sundance), July 30, 2025 (United States), August 13, 2025 (France)
Running time : 102 minutes