Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like conventional body horror, but beneath Together exists a deep meditation about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, of course, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying fright fest, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and presents them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
