We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your significant other and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like typical body horror, but within Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim discover an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He fears the concept of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and needs Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
