Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like conventional physical horror, but within Together resides a profound meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn fright fest, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together refrains from painting one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
