Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like typical physical horror, but inside Together lies a profound contemplation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film 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. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the country for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something horrific). The director weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the metaphor never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
