We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but beneath Together exists a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The story starts when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the countryside for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his network of friends. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the allegory never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
