Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard physical horror, but inside Together exists a intense meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim transition from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s primarily where the tropes cease. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters confront the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
