Here's a test for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it might appear like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is 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, partners that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a special spark to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story commences when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). The director orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He fears the notion of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that come with most partnerships over a long period. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
