Australian Director Michael Shanks Debuts Body Horror Film Together at Sundance

Michael Shanks's 2025 supernatural body horror film Together, starring real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco, explores the terrifying and intimate theme of codependency in long-term relationships through a visceral narrative where the couple physically begin to fuse. Inspired by Shanks's own 17-year relationship, the movie uses practical effects to manifest the idea of domestic inseparability, culminating in a shocking fusion sequence set to The Spice Girls' "2 Become 1." The film delves into the complexities of intimacy, including a deliberately uncomfortable sex scene that deepens the emotional tension rather than sensationalizes it. Critics and audiences have praised Together for its audacious approach, blending horror, romance, and dark humor, with Shanks drawing influences from genre classics like Alien, The Thing, and Cronenberg’s work. The film's ending, featuring an androgynous hybrid character representing the couple, leaves viewers with a striking visual punchline that provokes reflection on identity and togetherness. Shanks’s background in comedy informs the film’s structure, balancing its unsettling elements with moments of levity and narrative payoffs.