Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional body horror, but within Together resides a intense contemplation about our choices in loving one another.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, the two stars infuse a special spark to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The whole movie is a methodically building of scares, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). 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 Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. At their core, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
