Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of horror films: Sit down with your significant other and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like standard biological terror, but within Together exists a deep contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the two stars infuse a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He fears the idea of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple face the sort of issues that come with any relationship a decade in. At their core, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can experience at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
