Spouses Alison Brie and Dave Franco took their closeness to a whole new level in “Together.” The couple stars in Neon’s latest horror flick, a disgusting romance about Tim (Franco) and Millie (Brie), who get closer than they ever wanted. The film gradually escalates its body horror premise, building to an unforgettable finale.
From writer/director Michael Shanks, “Together” released in theaters nationwide on Wednesday, July 30, after a Sundance Film Festival premiere. Neon acquired distribution rights to the film worldwide for a reported $17 million, soon launching a humorous marketing campaign playing off of Brie and Franco’s real-life marriage.
Now that “Together” is in theaters, audiences can finally talk about the crazy conclusion and what comes next for Tim and Millie.
Be warned that this article will contain major spoilers for “Together.” If you don’t want to know about the ending of this body horror romance, go check out the movie first and then come back. You can even make it into a date night!
What happens in “Together”?
“Together” follows Tim and Millie, a couple at different places in their lives. As Millie starts a new job and seeks to take the next step in their relationship, Tim keeps one foot in the past. He struggles to fully commit and wants to perform in his friends’ band. You know the type.
After Tim and Millie move to an isolated house in the countryside for Millie’s new teaching job, the pair stumble upon a mysterious cave in the woods. Tim drinks from a pool of water before they leave the next morning.
Following this night, Tim finds himself magnetically drawn toward Millie. When they make contact, their skin begins fusing together — when they wake up, after they kiss, and during sexual intercourse. Each time, they tear themselves apart (which is just as painful to watch as it sounds), not fully understanding what’s going on.
Eventually, Millie starts being pulled to Tim in a similar fashion, with the pair gradually losing control of their own bodies. The fusion gets more severe, with their bodies sinking into each other’s whenever they make contact. The couple takes muscle relaxants to keep the transformations at bay. At one point, Millie uses an electric saw to cut their arms apart.
How does “Together” end?
After she saws their arms, Millie goes to get her car keys from their new neighbor, Jamie (Damon Herriman). There, she learns that the cave was used by a cult that fuses couples together into single beings in a ritual meant to create stronger unions. Jamie himself is a result of this ritual, the fusion of two men who underwent the process.
Millie returns to Tim, who attempts to commit suicide to keep things from getting worse. Before he can, Millie collapses from a wound she suffered in a confrontation with Jamie. She begins to bleed out, asking Tim to post “brb, dying” on her social media — a callback to a conversation they had earlier after discovering the Facebook page of a couple that disappeared in the area.
In a bid to save Millie’s life, Tim allows their arms to fuse together, effectively stopping the bleeding in an ultimate show of commitment. Tim puts on the song “2 Become 1” by the Spice Girls (Millie’s favorite band). The pair allows the process to take its course while embracing.
The film concludes with Millie’s parents arriving at her new house. This impending visit is alluded to throughout the movie. When they knock on the door, a previously unseen individual opens the door — the apparent result of Tim and Millie’s fusion.
Let’s call them “Tillie.”
What does the ending mean?
Like many horror movies (especially in the modern era), “Together” has parallel functions as a frightening thrill ride and a thematic journey. Shanks’ film is a transparent metaphor for commitment and codependency within romantic relationships — particularly for Tim.
From the beginning of the film, Tim both struggles to commit to Millie and refuses to leave. His life feels wholly intertwined with hers, yet he expresses no desire to dive deeper into the relationship. It’s not as if he dislikes Millie, or even longs to leave her. He simply feels more stuck than comfortable.
Tim fears a loss of individuality, informed by a traumatic childhood event involving his parents. He manages to take steps with Millie, but anything greater would feel like a sacrifice of self.
The ending of the film literalizes this idea, allowing Tim to overcome his fear by committing in the ultimate form. He sacrifices his individuality by becoming one half of a pair in the truest sense.
Tim’s fear of losing Millie trumps his fear of losing some perceived sense of freedom. Only one of these, Tim realizes, would be a true loss.
Who plays Tillie?
Given the newness of the film, it has not officially been reported who plays the fusion of Tim and Millie in the film’s final scenes. No actor is listed in the credits. Since the figure at the movie’s end eerily resembles both Brie and Franco, it seems likely that Tillie is a digital composite of the two actors.
What happens next?
It’s hard to say what happens after the credits roll in “Together.” Tim and Millie appear to have found peace as this singular individual, much the same as Jamie’s two halves made a cohesive whole after undergoing the process.
The film ends on the brilliant punchline of Millie’s parents arriving (following several teases throughout the film) in the aftermath of mayhem. When Tillie answers the door, they do so in a nonchalant manner. It’s unclear whether they intend to explain the situation to Millie’s parents or simply say, “I think you’re at the wrong house.” Either solution feels like it’s opening a can of worms.
There’s also the dreaded third option. In the movie’s final moments, audiences see that Tillie’s house now has the symbol of the body-fusing cult on their front porch (just like Jamie). This could signal that Tim and Millie are fully invested in the horror situation they’ve found themselves in — to the point that they’re willing to put Millie’s parents through the same process.
