Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like standard body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep examination about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story begins when the couple relocate from the big city to the countryside for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence takes hold of the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply look at your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
