Here's a dare for long-term couples who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your significant other and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional body horror, but beneath Together lies a profound contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Tim and Millie transition from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. 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 far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have understood the narrative as a powerful case for staying single. On the other hand, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
