Australian director and writer Michael Shanks has a unique memento hanging on his study wall: a prosthetic torso of Hollywood A-lister Dave Franco. This unusual piece is from Shanks’s upcoming film, Together, starring Franco and his real-life wife, Alison Brie, as a couple navigating the rocky terrain of their relationship.
“I found it in storage after the film wrapped,” Shanks explains. “He was wrapped in plastic, like Laura Palmer. I was like, ‘No, he’s got to be on my wall.'” This quirky artifact symbolizes a significant moment for Shanks, marking his breakout in the film industry.
Shanks, a Melbourne local, has spent over a decade carving a niche for himself as a writer, director, and special effects artist. His cinematic parodies have garnered millions of YouTube views, and his award-winning short film, Rebooted, has collected numerous accolades. However, Together has eclipsed all his previous achievements.
The Film’s Journey from Sundance to Success
When Together, a blend of body-horror, romance, and comedy, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, it sparked a bidding war. Shanks, who wrote, directed, and created most of the film’s special effects, was taken by surprise.
“We had been in this room, just myself and an editor and the editing assistant, and we made this little movie, and we thought it was pretty good,” Shanks recalls. “Then suddenly I’m in Utah for some reason, at Sundance, and I have to introduce a film in front of an audience of 2,000 people.”
“At the afterparty, different studio people were saying, ‘Hi, we’d like to buy the film.’ That was really special.”
The film was eventually acquired by Neon, the US distributor known for Oscar-winning films like Anora and Parasite, for $17 million, marking one of the richest deals in the festival’s history.
Exploring Love and Co-Dependency
Together could easily be mistaken for a typical romantic dramedy if not for its evocative promotional materials featuring fused body parts, hinting at a darker narrative. The film follows aspiring musician Tim (Franco) and his dedicated partner Millie (Brie) as they move out of the city for her new teaching position. Their love, though still present, struggles under the weight of shared history.
The story takes a horrific turn when a bushwalk leads Tim and Millie into a mysterious cave with an alluring water source. From this point, the film transforms into a terrifying exploration of co-dependency, drawing from Shanks’s own long-term relationship.
“When I first told her the idea, she was a little wary,” Shanks laughs. “She said something like, ‘I’m a little upset that you’re writing it but you should write it.'”
Shanks’s partner became a key collaborator, helping conceptualize some of the film’s most memorable scenes. “I would sometimes knock on our home office and ask, ‘Hey, you know, that argument we had a couple of years ago where you called me a piece of shit? What did I call you back?'” he shares.
“It’s scary to share a life with somebody, and hopefully you can push through and find something lovely, or you are brave enough to recognize that splitting apart is an OK thing to do.”
A Family Affair and Local Production
Shanks infused Together with a familial touch, casting his partner and friends as extras and incorporating references to his siblings. Despite its American leads, the film was shot in Melbourne, just 15 minutes from Shanks’s home.
The local crew supported Franco and Brie, who performed their own stunts to enhance the film’s authenticity. “A stunt performer was doing something of Alison’s, and [Alison] was like, ‘That’s not hard enough. I’ll do it.’ Dave was climbing ropes that we didn’t ask him to do because it was better for the performance,” Shanks notes.
“They have a bruise journal from the film. We tortured them every day, and they still showed up for work the next day with a smile.”
Challenges and the Future of Australian Filmmaking
While Together has brought Shanks international recognition, it hasn’t been without challenges. The film faced a US copyright lawsuit from StudioFest, claiming it copied ideas from Patrick Phelan’s Better Half. Shanks defended his work, emphasizing its personal nature and the timeline of his script’s development.
“To now be accused of stealing this story — one based on my own lived experience, one I’ve developed over the course of several years — is devastating and has taken a heavy toll,” Shanks stated.
Despite these hurdles, Together is part of a wave of successful Australian horror films, alongside works like Late Night With The Devil and Bring Her Back. However, Shanks stresses the need for the local industry to invest in emerging talent.
“Me and Michael and Danny [Philippou], we came from a time where we had to prove our storytelling abilities to an international audience to get opportunities in the local industry,” he says.
“I’d love for there to be pathways for younger filmmakers to tell stories they’re passionate about, rather than the generation above, that are still kind of locked in some of those positions.”
Together is currently in cinemas, offering audiences a unique blend of horror, humor, and heartfelt storytelling.
