Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like conventional body horror, but inside Together lies a intense meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar story element, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He dreads the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
