Alison Brie and Dave Franco Talk ‘Together,’ Their Love of Horror, and ‘Terrifier’ [August Cover Story]
Alison Brie and Dave Franco could play it safe. With their combined star power, sharp comedic timing, and proven mainstream appeal, it would be easy to coast on crowd-pleasers and prestige fare. But the real-life couple has always gravitated toward the offbeat, the challenging, and the creatively unhinged. That instinct has never been more apparent than in Together, the thoughtfully nauseating, cup-your-mouth-and-point-at-the-screen body horror freak-show that’s quickly become one of the most talked-about horror films of the year. As both stars and producers, Brie and Franco throw themselves headfirst into a visceral exploration of love, rot, and identity—proving once again that their creative risks are anything but performative.
In this month’s Dread Central digital cover story, the duo opens up about putting it all on display for Together, and the risks involved with their critically acclaimed new body horror freakshow. A horror film about the toxic powers of codependency and the fear of loneliness, Together is something of a unique experience. And if you’ve seen it with an audience, you already know precisely what that means.
“At Sundance, there was no way to predict how invested the audience would be,” Brie tells me of that first time she saw Together with a crowd. “People were screaming and laughing and gasping, and it just felt so gratifying to know that this weird thing we made was really resonating with people.”
The audience’s reactions helped prove this is somehow both the perfect date movie—and also the worst date movie ever to exist. Franco admits to his love for sharing genre films with Brie, though some went over better than others.
“My biggest miscalculation—but ultimately one of my best choices to share—was the Danish film Speak No Evil. I knew nothing going in. I just turned to Alison and said, ‘I’ve heard great things. Let’s go in blind. Let’s see what happens.’ And then the movie takes such a dark turn, and I remember it finally ended, and she just turned to me and said, ‘Why did you do that?‘”
“No, I said, ‘HOW could you do that?’,” Alison playfully interrupts, clarifying. “But not much later, I’d tell him, ‘I can’t stop thinking about this movie. It’s one of the best films I’ve ever seen.’”
I’m happy to hear that she doesn’t subcategorize it as one of the best horror films she’s ever seen, but simply one of the best films, period. In the wake of last year’s body horror breakout hit receiving the Palme d’Or and a slew of Academy Award nominations, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve finally reached a point where horror is getting its flowers.
“I think we’re there,” Franco tells me, continuing: “The Substance was nominated for a handful of Oscars, including Best Picture. That had never happened for a body horror film on that level, that’s for sure. I think The Substance is really paving the way and making people acknowledge that this is a real genre that you need to take seriously. And there are filmmakers within the genre who are doing some of the most exciting things in film right now. And so as horror fans ourselves, we are all about it.”
I know that both Brie and Franco are horror fans, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that Franco is the more hardcore of the two. Curious, I ask Alison if there’s a type of gore she can’t handle—and she’s quick to answer.
“Yeah, I would categorize it as The Terrifier,” she tells me, a bit indignantly, though with a smile. She’s referring, of course, to the Terrifier franchise, a series of indie splatter-fest horror films infamous for pushing the boundaries of gore and violence.
“Oh yeah…” Franco snorts, holding back a laugh.
Brie ignores him, adding, “I cannot watch Terrifier movies. I can’t!”
I proudly share that Dread Central was responsible for distributing the first film in the franchise, and Dave’s face lights up.
“You didn’t!” he says with the excitement of a true fan. “I, on the other hand, have a great time with those films.”
It’s clear there were two very different types of horror fans in front of me.
Of course, the nastiness on screen in Together isn’t for the weak-stomached. Both actors go through a lot physically, not just by way of gore and viscera, but in intimate and emotionally vulnerable moments as well. I had to ask: was there anyone in their lives they were sort of worried about watching something so bare and personal?
Both actors are quick to say no, insisting that they’re just so proud of the film, they can’t imagine not wanting to share it. However, Brie thinks for a moment.
“I’ll say this: I have three nephews under the age of 13, and some of their cool 13-year-old classmates have been talking about this movie—not even knowing that my nephew’s aunt is in it,” she said. “They have a genuine curiosity about it, and I’m like, ‘This is too traumatic for them’. And mostly not even the horror parts of it. I’m like, ‘I don’t know if they need to see their aunt and uncle having sex on screen’, I think. But I’m sure they will watch it eventually. I’m just worried it might scar them a little bit.”
As we wrap up, I’m struck by how authentic their love of horror seems to be. Sometimes big names in Hollywood are drive-by enthusiasts, but it’s clear from our conversation that these two are passionate about the genre. Hell, Franco’s directorial debut, The Rental, is something of a genre cult favorite. So I wonder—what do they want Dread Central readers to know about Together?
“Man, what can I say?” Franco tells me, seriously considering it. “When I first read this script, I was blown away by the horror set pieces. They were so innovative and unlike anything I had ever seen before. And also very ambitious—to the point where I didn’t know how we were going to pull this off. But our writer-director, Michael Shanks, has a VFX background, and he just knew exactly what he needed. The combination of all the people involved in making this film—we were able to create something that genuinely feels original. And those are the kind of projects that we love, that we want to go see in the theater.”
“And I feel like this movie was really made for horror audiences,” Brie adds. And I definitely agree.
Together is now playing in theaters from NEON. Starring and produced by Alison Brie and Dave Franco, the film is a disturbing and unforgettable body horror story that’s quickly becoming one of the most talked-about horror releases of the year.
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