Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard biological terror, but inside Together resides a profound meditation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when the couple move from the metropolis to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence starts to affect the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they deftly portray countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
