Here's a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of horror films: Settle in with your significant other and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like typical physical horror, but beneath Together exists a profound examination about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in moments of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie never makes Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the type of challenges that come with long-term unions after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and utter, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
