Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like standard body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep examination about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the duo. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a slow burn horror experience, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
