Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like conventional biological terror, but inside Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker 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 a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative begins when the couple move from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the conventions conclude. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, blending moments of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and distant from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that come with most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they still love one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights serve the other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a compelling reason for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
