Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like conventional biological terror, but inside Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The story begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a storm hits, and the two discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple face the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
