Here's a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together resides a profound meditation about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie 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 over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when the couple relocate from the big city to the countryside for her career. A commonly used plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building of scares, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Both characters face the sort of issues that come with most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion sow anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and say, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
