Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who appreciate horror films: Get comfortable with your significant other and view Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but within Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative begins when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the cliches conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building fright fest, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but never too gross) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together never makes either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that come with most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could function as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
