Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together lies a deep examination about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story begins when the couple transition from the metropolis to the rural area for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He dreads the concept of completely losing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism never feels hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
