We present a dare for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like typical physical horror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the actors bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is intensified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Both characters face the sort of issues that come with most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
