Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it might appear like typical biological terror, but within Together resides a deep contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Married in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when the couple move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity begins influencing the couple. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something horrific). The director orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
