We present a test for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your partner and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard biological terror, but beneath Together resides a profound meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a particular energy to their roles, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to another person, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and state, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
