Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like typical physical horror, but within Together lies a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and distant from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that come with any relationship over a long period. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
