Consider this a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard biological terror, but beneath Together lies a profound examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the duo. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple confront the type of challenges that arise in any relationship after ten years. At their core, they still love one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
