Here's a test for long-term couples who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional body horror, but beneath Together lies a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for a decade. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when the couple move from the big city to the countryside for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He dreads the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
