Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate horror films: Sit down with your partner and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like conventional body horror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot starts when Tim and Millie transition from the metropolis to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his support system. He fears the concept of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that come with long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
