Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your loved one and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but within Together exists a deep examination about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the actors bring a unique chemistry to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story commences when the couple transition from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn of scares, blending bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that come with any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted 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 finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform at present.
