Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your loved one and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like typical physical horror, but within Together lies a deep examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two fall into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). The director weaves these elements together neatly and presents them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
