Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film 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 been together for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story starts when the couple relocate from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building fright fest, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He dreads the concept of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can undertake right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
