Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together resides a deep contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when Millie and Tim transition from the big city to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s mostly where the conventions conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes either of his characters the obvious villain.
Both characters face the sort of issues that are inherent in any relationship a decade in. At their core, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and fully committing to another person, the metaphor never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply look at your other half and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform at present.
