We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its streaming debut via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like standard body horror, but beneath Together lies a profound contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors bring a unique chemistry to their roles, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, interspersing elements of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Both characters confront the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
