Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional biological terror, but inside Together resides a deep meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters confront the kind of problems that come with any relationship after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
