Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like standard body horror, but inside Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and distant from his social circle. He dreads the idea of completely losing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that come with most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can undertake right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
