Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but within Together exists a profound examination about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when the couple move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the conventions end. Together transforms 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 new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the fact he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
