Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like standard physical horror, but inside Together resides a deep meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for a decade. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar story element, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence begins influencing the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He dreads the concept of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple face the sort of issues that come with any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, 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 revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply look at your partner and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
