Since 2020, we’ve seen a wave of indie horror films that deal with pandemics and isolation. At this point, I wouldn’t mind a break from such subject matter. That said, writer/director Will Kresch’s Alone Together works best when it focuses on how a pandemic dissolves a relationship that was already troubled.

Set in an alternate 2020 universe, the film makes clear big cities aren’t safe, due to rioting. Because of this, Nassdja (DeAnna S. Wright) and Luke (Matthew Kresch) flee their home and seek refuge in a remote cabin owned by Luke’s family. However, Nassdja immediately expresses reservations. Meanwhile, her parents live in London and her dad is sick, due to the pandemic. In an early scene, she phones her parents, and her dad coughs and wheezes in the background. It feels like Nassdja has the most to lose, as the world turns upside down and she tries to navigate this new reality.

From the film’s outset, it’s clear that this couple has a lot of issues. Luke, who mostly drinks and plays video games, frequently belittles his partner. There are hints that he’s been physically abusive to her, too, including nightmarish sequences Nassdja encounters that resemble flashbacks and past assaults. There are moments where Luke shows tenderness, but soon after, he resorts to his mean and abusive self.

Nassdja isn’t exactly innocent, either. Her text messages hint that she’s having an affair, but that doesn’t excuse Luke’s behavior. When they arrive at the cabin, the forced isolation worsens their shaky relationship. Luke even uses some kind of app to read his partner’s messages. There is a single sequence in which Luke’s humanity shines. He has a moving dialogue about his father, a Vietnam vet. His father was abusive and killed himself before a Buddha statue. Luke witnessed this. It’s his most human moment in the film. However, just minutes later, he’s again awful towards Nassdja, wiping away any empathy a viewer may briefly feel towards him.

The narrative works well when it focuses solely on the relationship, specifically how the pandemic and isolation worsen the situation. Being locked in a cabin isn’t necessarily the best remedy for severe marital problems. It’s clear that this couple’s relationship is damaged beyond repair. The leads turn in memorable performances. Wright shows vulnerability, while eventually fighting back. Kresch’s Luke, however, is a downright frightening and unlikeable character.

The feature falters when Luke turns into a Jack Torrance type of character, succumbing to madness and his inner demons, while chasing Nassdja around the cabin and surrounding woods with sharp objects. The film works much better as a drama and straight-up thriller about a doomed relationship. Oddly, the horror elements pull it down because they’re simpy too familiar at this point.

Alone Together makes for an entertaining enough 90 minutes. Yes, it’s another pandemic movie, but one that works best when it focuses on how isolation shatters an already troubled relationship. The horror sequences don’t quite hit the mark, however, but thankfully, they don’t dominate the feature.