This March, we sadly said goodbye to one of the greatest film scholars and feminists of all time. Linda Williams conceptualized that Pornography, Horror and Melodrama aren’t superficial genres, but are in-fact essential in understanding how cinema evokes physical and emotional reactions[1]. These ‘Body Genres’, as she coined, interplay within Michael Shanks’ new Body Horror Together, preserving her legacy on the big screen.
In light of Williams’ theory, I would like to hone in on the relationship between Comedy and Horror within Together. She argued that Comedy – although evoking a physical reaction of laughter in its audience – does not qualify as a low body genre. In order to constitute as such, it would need to provoke responses in excess to the extent that it is often stigmatized. She also considered how ‘the audience does not mimic the sensations experienced by the central clown’ in a Comedy, which opposes Horror as this aligns us with the fear-stricken protagonist. Using Together as my anchor, I will put forward my argument that Comedy is a ‘gross’ genre; hence its ability to enhance the body horror as a stand-alone style.
Body Horror has thrived as a genre in recent years. The most notable pieces include The Substance (Coralie Fargeat, 2024), which won the Best European Visual Effects award, and The Ugly Stepsister (Emilie Blichfeldt, 2025) – winner of the Audience Award at BIFAN. But the concept has a long history in cinema and, as Williams’ suggested, has arguably been major in showcasing how film can engage with our core fears and beliefs, stirring primal responses. The 1980s was the Golden Era for somatic dread: from The Fly (David Cronenberg, 1986) to Society (Brian Yuzna, 1989), filmmakers made use of stunning prosthetics and puppetry techniques to bring their surreal ideas to life. Furthermore, these Body Films commented on key events at the time such as the Vietnam War, exposing our anxieties by presenting them to us in tangible forms. ‘Body horror is disturbing because it taps in to our primal fears of physical vulnerability, decay and the loss of control over our own bodies. It challenges our perception of what it means to be human and exposes the fragility of our physical existence’[2]. The subject of fragility is not limited to the individual in Together, rather Shanks explores the ancient Greek legend about soulmates that derive from one flesh; literally binding two people together to show the brittleness of romantic dependence.
Broey Deschanel’s video essay on Abject Women highlights the connection between Horror and Comedy, in the sense that the female form is the main subject of abuse or humiliation within both genres[3]. She explores how comedians such as Margaret Cho harness the differences that usually make them ‘abjects’ (e.g. race and body size) in order to stimulate amusement in the audience. Millie, played by Brie, mirrors this in that the mortification of Tim’s growing obsession with her is abjective. In mainstream cinema, it is unexpected to see a man showing neediness to the extent that Tim does in the film, stalking her at the workplace and getting physically ill when he is away from her for a short period of time. This makes us uncomfortable and – ultimately – hysterical, but at the expense of Millie who is actually becoming afraid of her partner. Carroll’s idea of ‘category transgression’[4] stresses the violation of cultural norms and absurdity as shared within the genres. Together stretches the limits of what can be seen as funny before it becomes scary, and is often laughable due to its bizarre imagery. Therefore, Comedy is presented as ‘low body’ given its ability to transcend traditional expectation of what a genre should be. Also, Williams herself suggested that ‘what may especially mark these body genres as low is the perception that the body of the spectator is caught up in an almost involuntary mimicry of the emotion or sensation of the body on the screen, along with the fact that the body displayed is female.’ Provided our complicated allegiance with Millie’s bodily onslaught as both frightened and amused (or either or), Comedy can be seen as low body because a female form is being victimized more than is permitted in standard contemporary cinema for our own tainted entertainment.
In addition, Dave Franco and Alison Brie, a real-life couple as well as in the movie, both have roots in Comedy. Franco began his career with roles such as Greg in Superbad, while Brie voiced Diane from BoJack Horseman from 2014-2020. The two even released their own co-written rom-com Somebody I Used to Know back in 2023. This is evident in scenes like when the two sever their arms, their theatrical screams of anguish creating an audio swell that directly contradicts the peaceful ambience of birds tweeting that follows. They seamlessly work their experience in to the characterisation within this quirky, satirical movie, utilizing perfect comedic timing and pantomime expressions. The contrast cut between the chainsaw slicing their flesh and a long shot showing them eating amongst the carnage adds to the slapstick vibe, especially when Tim offers Millie his snacks. This jarring example is so brutal that it becomes funny, showing how Comedy can in fact work in excess and how casting can have a direct impact on the phenomenon.
Perhaps the most obvious example of Comedy acting as a low body genre in Together would be the final sequence; when Tim and Millie undergo a fleshy fusion. Remarkably similar to Society and even The Substance from last year, VFX Powerhouse’s CGI and Dunyhoven’s prosthetics have been used to formulate this incredible preternatural imagery. Many fans have been shocked to discover that no AI was used for the final scene, where a combination of Tim and Millie (or ‘Tillie’ as they have been described) opens the door[5]. But the reinstitution of a B movie aesthetic is arguably integral to the way in which the Horror-Comedy connection is motivated in the viewers mind. In the same way eroticism in Horrors like Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)enhances the tension we feel towards a horrific climax, the ridiculous nature of the low budget imagery that blurs the boundary between fantasy and realism highlights the central critique of co-dependency. If we consider this scene and others throughout in the context of pure Comedy – disregarding Horror – Williams’ requirement that a low body genre shows ‘the spectacle of the body caught in a grip of intense sensation or emotion’ is met. We are also able to physically respond to this in coordination with the characters, due to the visceral effect of the intense layering of sound such as foley work (the suction sound effects) and subsonic pulses.
Paralleling Comedians that make their mark through their own self deprecation, discomfort is key to the Comedy elements of Together. It is this concept that shows how the Comedy can and does act alone as a low body genre, enabling a feeling of laughter to be encouraged in audiences that seems taboo. But, in acknowledgment of the Body Horror as the most definitive genre applied to this film, we can also endeavour to understand Comedy as a vehicle for Horror and subsequently conclude that the genre is low body due to its solidarity with an already recognised genre of this kind.
