We present a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Get comfortable with your significant other and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like conventional biological terror, but inside Together resides a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their roles, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is only 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 emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie face the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the symbolism never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for remaining unattached. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
