We present a dare for long-term couples who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like standard body horror, but within Together lies a deep meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when the couple transition from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn of scares, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director orchestrates these parts expertly and presents them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
