Collectively
Studio: Neon
Director: Michael Shanks
Aug 01, 2025
Author-director Michael Shanks has arrived on the scene together with his characteristic debut Collectively. It stars real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a pair dealing with an odd and horrifying state of affairs. Whereas Collectively is a little bit of a multitude, Franco and Brie are dedicated to the fabric and Shanks exhibits promise as a brand new filmmaking voice.
Franco performs Tim, an aspiring musician who has haunting nightmares and dedication points. He and his girlfriend, Millie (Brie), transfer to the countryside after she will get a job as a instructor. The 2 find yourself in a cave whereas out mountaineering and Tim drinks from a darkish pool of water. Quickly after, Tim and Millie uncover they actually can not keep away from one another – and even discover their pores and skin sticking collectively at occasions.
Collectively begins properly and units up an unsettling environment that permeates the movie. Shanks’ image options some efficient frights because it blends psychological horror and physique horror. One scene in a cave is especially intense and options superior make-up work that evokes the grotesque imagery of The Factor (1982) and The Substance (2024). The droning music rating by Cornel Wilczek additionally provides to the dread all through Collectively.
Brie provides a robust efficiency and is plausible in Collectively. Damon Herriman will get the third most display time as Tim and Millie’s bizarre neighbor, Jamie, delivering a memorable supporting efficiency. He and Brie share a number of scenes that hit the suitable notes of awkward and amusing.
Franco is an efficient comedic actor, however he feels considerably miscast in Collectively, regardless of sharing the display together with his precise spouse. His dramatic breakdowns really feel compelled, and his voice settles on shrill too typically. He does disappear into character in a single scene, although, the place Tim shares a narrative a few scent he’ll always remember.
Some cliches are thorns within the facet of Collectively. Shanks resorts to utilizing fakeout dream sequences, a child drawing creepy footage, and an outdated VHS tape that gives an exposition dump. The plot additionally has half-baked concepts linked to New Age practices, and the tone swings wildly between severe horror and compelled comedy. There’s a extremely cringe-inducing use of a sure pop track too.
Regardless of its many flaws, Collectively is often daring and is attention-grabbing sufficient to suggest to horror followers. Shanks’ materials is uneven, and he isn’t all the time assured sufficient to belief the viewers to simply go together with the movie’s craziness. Nevertheless, he exhibits sufficient directorial artistry to be a expertise price keeping track of. (www.neon.com)
Writer score: 6/10