Katie Holmes pulls triple duty as the writer, director, and star ofAlone Together.The pandemic romancehas two strangers double-booking an upstate New York Airbnb at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film hasan innate sweetnessbut fails to be compelling. There are no surprises as an attractive woman and man do what comes naturally in a stressful situation. The characters wrestle with personal tragedies as the coronavirus halts society. Their struggles ordering food and finding hand sanitizer rings somewhat hollow. They had the ability to escape while others less fortunate couldn’t. I honestly found it difficult to embrace their connection in such a contrived situation.
Alone Togetheropens in New York City on June 24, 2025. June (Holmes), a food critic and aspiring novelist, struggles to find transportation to her Airbnb. She’s meeting her boyfriend, John (Derek Luke), to get away from the surging coronavirus. A Lyft takes her to an idyllic home upstate. She’s stunned to find Charlie (Jim Sturgess), a mechanic who restores old vehicles, staying at the property. They both paid in advance and secured the reservation. Charlie offers to sleep on the couch until they can find a solution.
The next morning brings an awkward update. John has decided to stay in the city with his older parents. A frustrated June and amenable Charlie make the best of their unexpected cohabitation. The recently dumped Charlie proves to be engaging and thoughtful. They react to constant breaking news as the virus takes its toll; finding comfort in each other’s company as the world reels from COVID-19. The respite doesn’t shield them from despair or complications. They face grief and loss as John comes back into the picture.
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Portraying the Pandemic’s Beginning
Alone Togetherportrays the confusion and uncertainty of the pandemic’s beginning. Andrew Cuomo, New York’s former governor, is heard throughout the film giving ghastly briefings as the virus explodes. It serves as the reality check while the characterssoak up country life. They drink wine and frolic while mass casualties take place in the background. The romance and virus are both predictable here. We know how deadly COVID-19 will be. Just as there’s no doubt about the characters' eventual outcome. It’s a tricky gambit juggling love and death. Holmes unfortunately isn’t successful with her balancing act. It feels staged at every turn.
I had issues with the initial set-up. Any single heterosexual man would be doing backflips if Katie Holmes showed up at your door. Conversely, June never tells John that a random hottie dude is living with her. It’s unrealistic for June to keep a long-term boyfriend in the dark. John wouldn’t sit idly, pandemic or not, if he knew a potential suitor was present. It’s a textbook hook-up scenario. Holmes needed more complexity in the first act.
Alone Togetherrelies on an endearing sense of companionship. Holmes and Sturgess stoke their embers into a roaring flame quickly. They almost trip falling into each other’s arms. The narrative would have been less vanilla if they didn’t. A little friction between the protagonists, especially in light of the deadly virus, is sorely missing.
Alone Togetheris a production of Lafayette Pictures, Yale Productions, SSS Entertainment, The Forest Road Company, and LB Entertainment. It will have a theatrical release on July 22nd, followed by a streaming debut on July 29th fromVertical Entertainment.
