Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. At first glance, it could look like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together lies a intense examination about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim transition from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together transforms 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 trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He fears the idea 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 mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the allegory does not come across as hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
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 finale inspire anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
