Consider this a dare for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like conventional body horror, but inside Together resides a profound examination about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars infuse a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story commences when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A commonly used story element, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn fright fest, interspersing bits of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He fears the notion of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie face the sort of issues that come with most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu at present.
