Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like typical physical horror, but inside Together exists a deep meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the big city to the countryside for her career. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated 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 notion of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple confront the type of challenges that come with most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate 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. Meanwhile, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.