Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like typical body horror, but within Together resides a profound meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating The Nuances of Love
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, partners that have remained a couple for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, blending elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters face the type of challenges that come with most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they still love each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
