Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like typical physical horror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a special spark to their roles, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The story begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple confront the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
