Here's a challenge for partners in committed relationships who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your partner and view Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard physical horror, but inside Together lies a profound contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The story commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director orchestrates these parts expertly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He fears the idea of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie face the sort of issues that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they have affection for each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism does not come across as hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict 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 perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu at present.
