We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your loved one and view Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like conventional body horror, but within Together exists a deep meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors bring a special spark to their roles, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used story element, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to 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 inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and say, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
