Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like standard physical horror, but within Together resides a deep examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He dreads the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that come with any relationship after ten years. At their core, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a powerful case for remaining unattached. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
