Commentary: ‘Together’ Is Less Of A Story And More Of An Exercise
by Frank Martin
Movies can chronicle all sorts of different tales. Some deal with engaging plots, while others focus on character development. Then there are stories that are merely exercises in storytelling. These exist to challenge the creators who put limitations on themselves to see if a film could be made in such a manner. Together is one such movie. It sets itself up with an extremely simple premise and then spreads the pacing of the film out so that the premise is inevitable. It’s less about the characters involved and more about executing the idea itself.
The movie centers on Millie (Alison Brie) and Tim (Dave Franco), a couple in a fairly rocky relationship. In order to invigorate their romance, they move out to the countryside. After going on a hike, they stumble upon a mysterious cave with an underground pool of water. They drink from it, cursing themselves so that their bodies are magically pulled together. Despite numerous attempts to prevent and even stop the merging, they are seemingly powerless to do so.
— Spoilers Ahead —
The premise puts an obstacle in front of the characters. There’s something that inevitably wants to take place: their merging. The entire plot becomes them slowly discovering what is happening and then taking actions in order to prevent it. This includes using a saw to separate themselves and even considering suicide. Ultimately, the characters give in to their fate, which feels like the ending the movie was always going to have. At that point, the entire thing becomes an exercise in seeing the characters futilely struggle against their destiny. There are no huge arcs or magical plots to entice the audience. Instead, the film sticks firmly to it concept — what would be like to see two characters desperately trying to stop their bodies from combining and then failing?
Together is now streaming on Hulu.
