We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like standard body horror, but beneath Together exists a intense examination about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The story begins when the couple move from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters face the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they still love each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the metaphor never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
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 single viewers have interpreted the film as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
