Here's a challenge for long-term couples who enjoy scary movies: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like standard biological terror, but inside Together lies a deep 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 stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their roles, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the country for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the tropes end. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He dreads the notion of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie refrains from painting one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
