Here's a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Get comfortable with your significant other and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional biological terror, but within Together lies a intense examination about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He dreads the idea of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters face the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the metaphor avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
