Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like conventional body horror, but inside Together exists a profound examination about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, blending bits of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness 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 reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He fears the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the sort of issues that come with any relationship after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
