Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your loved one and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like typical physical horror, but beneath Together exists a profound meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the two stars infuse a particular energy to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the country for her career. A familiar story element, sure, but that’s mostly where the conventions conclude. Together transforms 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 hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). The director weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that arise in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
