Moviefone Editorial

Tag: body-horror

Movie Review: ‘Shell’
(L to R): Kate Hudson and Elisabeth Moss in ‘Shell’. Photo: © 2025 Paramount Pictures.

In select theaters and on digital October 3rd is ‘Shell’, a blend of body horror, comedy and thriller that stars Elisabeth Moss (‘The Handmaid’s Tale’) and Kate Hudson (‘Running Point’) in the story of a seemingly revolutionary beauty treatment with horrific side-effects lurking within.
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Directed by Max Minghella (‘The Social Network’) from a script by Jack Stanley (‘Lou’), the movie also stars Kaia Gerber (‘Bottoms’), Este Haim (‘Licorice Pizza’), Arian Moayed (‘Succession’) and Peter MacNicol (‘Ally McBeal’).

Related Article: Elisabeth Moss Talks Max Minghella’s ‘Shell’ and Acting with Kate Hudson

Initial Thoughts

Kate Hudson in ‘Shell’. Photo: © 2025 Paramount Pictures.

‘Shell’ aims to take some comedically horrific jabs at beauty standards, Hollywood hypocrisy and rich types putting their faith in dodgy technology, yet the stew of different ideas never quite gels.

And in a world in which ‘The Substance’ exists, it looks all the more an example of skin-deep satire.

Script and Direction

(L to R): Director Max Minghella and actor Elisabeth Moss on the set of ‘Shell’. Photo: © 2025 Paramount Pictures.

Writer Jack Stanley’s previous credits include Netflix action thriller ‘Lou’ and 2023’s ‘The Passenger’ and ‘Shell’ follows a familiar pattern for his script work –– a decent idea somewhat undercut by a descent into trope and familiar plot turns.

As director, Max Minghella finds some entertaining moments, but the overall effect is somewhat hindered by a lack of grasp on tone and some very predictable points being made.

Cast and Performances

Kate Hudson in ‘Shell’. Photo: © 2025 Paramount Pictures.

Moss’s ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ connection to Minghella might explain her presence in this when she’s otherwise normally known for more complex and intriguing stories. But she’s perfectly fine in the role of an actress suffering the slings and arrows of a near-future Hollywood.

Kate Hudson, meanwhile, has a largely predictable role as a seemingly beneficent owner of the eponymous beauty company who turns out –– to surely no-one’s surprise –– be harboring some dangerous secrets.

Both the leads do solid work, but neither can really prevent it from going off the rails in the final act.

Final Thoughts

Elisabeth Moss in ‘Shell’. Photo: © 2025 Paramount Pictures.

The themes presented in ‘Shell’ are worth repeating; it’s just a shame that the movie has a very basic view on them all. There’s some gloopy body horror to be had, but it’s a minor effort in the genre.

‘Shell’ receives 60 out of 100.

Kate Hudson in ‘Shell’. Photo: © 2025 Paramount Pictures.

What’s the story of ‘Shell’?

Desperate to reclaim her career, once-beloved actress Samantha Lake (Elisabeth Moss) is drawn into the glamorous world of wellness mogul Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson)—only to uncover a monstrous truth beneath its flawless surface.

Who is in the cast of ‘Shell’?

Elisabeth Moss as Samantha Lake
Kate Hudson as Zoe Shannon
Arian Moayed as Dr. Hubert
Kaia Gerber as Chloe Benson
Este Haim as Lydia
Elizabeth Berkley as Jenna Janero
Amy Landecker as Detective Flores
Lionel Boyce as Detective Abramson

Elisabeth Moss in ‘Shell’. Photo: © 2025 Paramount Pictures.

List of Elisabeth Moss Movies and TV Shows:
- ‘Suburban Commando‘ (1991)
- ‘Anywhere but Here‘ (1999)
- ‘The West Wing‘ (1999 – 2006)
- ‘Girl, Interrupted‘ (2000)
- ‘The Missing‘ (2003)
- ‘Invasion‘ (2005 – 2006)
- ‘Mad Men‘ (2007 – 2015)
- ‘Did You Hear About the Morgans?‘ (2009)
- ‘Get Him to the Greek‘ (2010)
- ‘Darling Companion‘ (2012)
- ‘The One I Love‘ (2014)
- ‘Truth‘ (2015)
- ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (2017 – 2025)
- ‘The Old Man & the Gun‘ (2018)
- ‘Us‘ (2019)
- ‘The Kitchen‘ (2019)
- ‘Shirley‘ (2020)
- ‘The Invisible Man‘ (2020)
- ‘The French Dispatch‘ (2021)
- ‘Next Goal Wins‘ (2023)
- ‘Shell’ (2025)
Buy Elisabeth Moss Movies and TV on Amazon
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October 4, 2025
Movie Review: ‘Together’
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

‘Together’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.

Opening in theaters July 30 is ‘Together,’ written and directed by Michael Shanks and starring Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman, and Mia Morrissey.

Related Article: Alison Brie and Dave Franco Talk Director Michael Shanks’ ‘Together’

Initial Thoughts

(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

Real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie star in ‘Together,’ the feature debut of writer-director Michael Shanks. A body horror thriller not too far removed from the early works of David Cronenberg – although the latter would take a more clinical approach – ‘Together’ touches on a number of ideas involving identity, relationships, and marriage, all filtered through a decidedly Lovecraftian supernatural premise.

And it all works quite well, thanks to Shanks’ smart script and confident direction, as well as the unbeatable chemistry that Brie and Franco have together. Their natural closeness with each other makes ‘Together’ poignant and believable even at its most grotesque moments – and there are quite a few of those.

Story and Direction

(L to R) Director Michael Shanks, Dave Franco and Alison Brie on the set of ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

Millie (Alison Brie) accepts a teaching job in the country, meaning that she and longtime partner Tim (Dave Franco), an aspiring yet largely unsuccessful musician, must abandon their friends and city digs for a more bucolic lifestyle. Tim is reluctant to leave, which only adds to the strain on their already fraying and recently sexless relationship, and there are signs that both are not entirely committed to seeing this through together.

While hiking in the woods near their new home, the couple get lost in the rain and fall into a cave that contains the ruins of a chapel. After drinking water from a pool in the cave – and getting their legs stuck together by a strange substance – they return home only for Tim to find himself mysteriously and powerfully drawn to Millie physically. At one point, they have frantic, vigorous sex in a bathroom at her school, although the outcome is a lot more painful than expected.

It inevitably becomes clear that whatever the couple drank in that cave is causing them to physically merge with each other, a fate which might have befallen a couple that went missing there several weeks earlier. And despite their best – and most gruesome efforts – the two realize that there is almost nothing they can do to keep the process from happening.

(L to R) Dave Franco and Alison Brie in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

‘Together’ doesn’t hide its intent, and it’s the sheer horror of what’s occurring – leavened with a little black humor – that keeps the movie from being heavy-handed. But this is very much a film about what happens when one’s identity and life become so entwined with that of another person that it’s difficult to know where one ends and the other begins – in this case, literally. The way that co-dependent couples can burrow under each other’s skins or tear each other apart manifests in unsettlingly real terms.

For the most part, Shanks juggles it all exceptionally well, with the tone wavering only a bit in the third act as the prosthetics take over and a few broader laughs puncture the otherwise eerie atmosphere. The natural setting and ruined church all hint at forces beyond our understanding – as if love and identity themselves weren’t often difficult enough to comprehend.

Cast and Performances

(L to R) Dave Franco and Alison Brie in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

This is essentially a two-hander, and the leads leave it all out on the playing field. Even if you don’t know going in that Franco and Brie are married in real life, there’s a specific intimacy to their interactions that makes their distress – both before and after the cave – all the more acute.

Whatever real baggage they bring to the film is their business, but the characters feel genuine: Tim is unable to face getting older and leaving his adolescent rock star dreams behind, while Millie increasingly feels like she’s carrying the entire relationship om her shoulders and not being seen. The texture of their performances gives ‘Together’ that extra emotional oomph.

Final Thoughts

(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

‘Together’ works as both a relationship drama and a crowd-pleasing horror rave-up; there are scenes in the film that should get a packed house gasping and hollering. But there’s a lot going on under the surface as well, and the movie merges – so to speak — its themes and its visceral effects together almost seamlessly before concluding on a perfectly ambiguous note.
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What is the plot of ‘Together’?

Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) ﬁnd themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already ﬂaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their ﬂesh.

Who is in the cast of ‘Together’?
- Dave Franco as Tim
- Alison Brie as Millie
- Damon Herriman as Jamie
- Mia Morrissey as Cath
- Jack Kenny as Luke
- Karl Richmond as Jordy
- Tom Considine as Mr. Wilson
- Melanie Beddie as Mrs. Wilson
- Sarah Lang as Keri
- Rob Brown as Chaplin
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

List of Movies featuring Alison Brie and Dave Franco:
- ‘The Little Hours‘ (2017)
- ‘The Disaster Artist‘ (2017)
- ‘The Rental‘ (2020)
- ‘Somebody I Used to Know‘ (2023)
- ‘Together‘ (2025)
Buy Tickets: ‘Together’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Alison Brie Movies on Amazon

Buy Dave Franco Movies on Amazon
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July 31, 2025
‘Together’ Interview: Alison Brie and Dave Franco
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Opening in theaters on July 30th is the new “body horror” movie ‘Together’, which was written and directed by Michael Shanks (‘Parked‘), and stars real-life married couple Alison Brie (‘Promising Young Woman’) and Dave Franco (‘Now You See Me’).

Related Article: Director Dave Franco Talks Prime Video’s ‘Somebody I Used to Know’

(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco star in ‘Together’.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in person with Alison Brie and Dave Franco to talk about their work on ‘Together’, their first reactions to the screenplay, Brie’s performance, adjusting Franco’s character, the married couple’s working relationship, and the pressure of shooting the film in only 21 days.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

Moviefone: To begin with, Dave, can you talk about your first meeting with director Michael Shanks, his pitch for this movie, and why you thought it would be a good project for you and Alison to do together?

Dave Franco: So, I met Michael Shanks, because we were discussing another film that he wrote, during that meeting, that film kind of got pushed to the side, and we just started bonding over horror movies. He was like, “I’ve had this script sitting around for a long time. I think you might really like it,” and so he sent me the script for ‘Together’. I read it, and I was just like, “This is one of the most innovative scripts I’ve ever read. These set pieces are unbelievable.” I turned to Alison, and I was like, “I think we should do this together, because our real relationship could help inform these characters in the movie, who have been together for over a decade, and hopefully we could add some real kind of history and weight to that relationship.”

(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

MF: Alison, can you talk about the raw places you have to go to emotionally with this performance, and the benefit of acting opposite your real-life husband? Do you think you could have given the same level of performance with another actor, or could you only have done this project with Dave?

Alison Brie: I do feel like there were so many advantages to doing this together, and to your point, emotionally, yes, but physically, there was stuff we were doing every day that we truly finished every day of filming, going, “We couldn’t do this with anyone else.” It was all new levels of intimacy, even for us, but the best part of working with Dave is just that trust. We trust each other so much. We have worked together before. We respect each other. We work in the same way. I think that I am at my best as a performer when I’m acting opposite Dave or in front of Dave when he’s directing me, just because I can’t be false. He knows me better than anyone. I do think it brings out some of my truest work. Our non-verbal communication is high.

(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

MF: Dave, what do you enjoy about working with Alison on set?

DF: In the two times that I’ve directed her, in the rare moments when I would come up to give her a note, I’d be walking towards her, and often, she’d be like, “I know. I got it. Go back to the monitors.” Then I’d go back to the monitors, and she’d do exactly what I was going to tell her.

(L to R) Director Michael Shanks, Dave Franco and Alison Brie on the set of ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

MF: Dave, I understand that you and Michael made some adjustments to your character before filming to make Tim more likable. Can you talk about what aspects of the character you wanted to change before shooting?

DF: So, Michael Shanks very loosely based the relationship in the movie on his own, sixteen-year relationship, and he kind of made my character, which is a version of him, the worst version of him. He was like, “This is how I fear people are looking at me. This is just all my darkest places in my head.” I was like, “I get that, but on the page, this guy is an a**hole, and no one will be rooting for this guy.” So, it was truly minor character adjustments, just making sure that his a**hole-ness was kind of coming from a relatable place of just being a tortured guy.

Alison Brie in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

MF: Finally, Alison, you and Dave are also producers on the film. From a producer’s point of view, did you feel the pressure of a 21-day shoot?

AB: A little bit. I mean, we had great support. We had a lot of great producers on this, but there certainly were days where you’re wearing both hats. We’re doing the craziest contorting on set, and then turning to figure out if we’re losing a location or what’s happening. That can always be stressful. Again, it’s wonderful to have my husband there, and truly, we were such a great team with Shanks. It really felt like the three of us are in this together collaborating, making this movie, problem solving together, so we just had a good thing going.
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What is the plot of ‘Together’?

Years into their relationship, a couple (Alison Brie and Dave Franco) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.

Who is in the cast of ‘Together’?
- Dave Franco as Tim
- Alison Brie as Millie
- Damon Herriman as Jamie
- Jack Kenny as Luke
- Karl Richmond as Jordy
- Charlie Lees as Male #1
- MJ Dorning as Male #2
- Tom Considine as Mr. Wilson
- Melanie Beddie as Mrs. Wilson
- Sarah Lang as Keri
- Rob Brown as Chaplin
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco in ‘Together’. Photo: Neon.

List of Movies featuring Alison Brie and Dave Franco:
- ‘The Little Hours‘ (2017)
- ‘The Disaster Artist‘ (2017)
- ‘The Rental‘ (2020)
- ‘Somebody I Used to Know‘ (2023)
- ‘Together‘ (2025)
Buy Tickets: ‘Together’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Alison Brie Movies on Amazon

Buy Dave Franco Movies on Amazon
July 28, 2025