Together

Directed by Michael Shanks, Together follows a couple (Dave Franco’s Tim and Alison Brie’s Millie) as they begin experiencing physical changes after drinking from a mysterious well. It’s a relatively promising setup that’s slowly-but-surely squandered by Shanks, as the filmmaker, armed with his own screenplay, offers up an exceedingly (and excessively) deliberate endeavor that grows less and less interesting as it unfolds – with the arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by a one-note narrative devoid of compelling, attention-grabbing attributes. And while Shanks admittedly does elicit strong performances from his two stars, Together‘s predominantly unpleasant subject matter, which is exacerbated by Germain McMicking’s muddy, dimly-lit cinematography, paves the way for a repetitive midsection and second half that isn’t nearly as enthralling as Shanks as obviously intended – which, when coupled with a clever yet abrupt finale, ultimately cements the picture’s place as a misfire that could only have worked as a short (and perhaps not even then).

*1/2 out of ****