Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like conventional physical horror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn horror experience, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that are inherent in any relationship a decade in. Deep down, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
