Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your significant other and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like typical biological terror, but within Together lies a deep meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for a decade. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when the couple move from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes during something disturbing). The director orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He dreads the notion 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 film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that arise in any relationship after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
