Consider this a test for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard body horror, but beneath Together lies a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars infuse a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, weaving in elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He dreads the notion of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple face the kind of problems that are inherent in most partnerships over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
