Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy the horror genre: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like standard body horror, but within Together resides a intense meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence takes hold of the duo. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a methodically building fright fest, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie never makes Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have understood the narrative as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
