Together Review: Dave Franco & Alison Brie Turn Couples Therapy Into Icky Body Horror

Together (M18)

Starring Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman

Directed by Michael Shanks

2025 (or what’s left of it) has been a banner year for Australian horror. First came Sean Byrne’s Dangerous Animals, then the Philippou Brothers’ Bring Her Back, and now Michael Shanks crashes the party with Together. Dave Franco and Alison Brie star as long-term couple Tim and Millie, whose relationship has gone stale.

Break up or stick it out? Neither wants to rock the boat, but their inertia only makes them more miserable. Why stick (literally as the story unfolds) to the status quo? One character wonders: Is it because they love each other or they’re used to each other?

Drawing on his own experiences — with shades of John Carpenter’s The Thing and David Cronenberg’s The Fly — Shanks delivers a movie that plays like an intense couples therapy disguised as body-horror. As real-life partners, Franco and Brie leverage their own chemistry to give Tim and Millie’s malaise a sting of authenticity.

Their struggle makes for uncomfortable viewing, especially when compounded by a supernatural affliction — pro tip: never f**king drink untreated water in the woods! — that ultimately transform their bodies. One highlight: A toilet stall sex scene will make you wince and laugh in equal measure.

Elsewhere, the use of Spice Girls’ ‘2 Become 1’ on the soundtrack is a bit on the nose but it nails the macabre message. If you and your other half have commitment issues, Together may not be for you. (4/5 stars) out in cinemas 

Photos: Ben King, Germain McMicking/Neon

Nobody 2 (M18)

Starring Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, RZA, Sharon Stone

Directed by Timo Tjahjanto

The first Nobody reintroduced Bob Odenkirk as an unlikely action hero: Hutch Mansell, a mild-mannered suburban family man who was once a badass assassin called The Auditor. The sequel finds Hutch chasing work-life balance by hauling his brood to a childhood retreat (think Crystal Lake by way of Walley World). There, an altercation with local bullies drags Hutch back into the fray, where he goes full John Wick on a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz), a shady sheriff (Colin Hanks, playing against type), and a flamboyant crime boss (Sharon Stone, gleefully chewing scenery like she’s in Catwoman all over again). Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto, taking over from Ilya Naishuller, ably orchestrates the chaos — from RZA, as Hutch’s brother, in a katana showdown, to a Home Alone-esque finale — but if you’ve seen his earlier work (The Shadow Strays, The Night Comes for Us), you’ll know this isn’t him firing on all cylinders. I had high hopes for the follow-up — it could’ve been a contender, but instead it feels like filler content. Next round? Hutch Mansell X Marvin Gable? Can you see it? (2.5/5 stars) out in cinemas

Photo: Universal Pictures