We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it may seem like typical physical horror, but inside Together resides a profound contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is 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, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the two stars infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim discover an underground cave. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying fright fest, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes during something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
Both characters face the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
