Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your loved one and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like typical biological terror, but beneath Together resides a profound meditation about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The plot begins when the couple move from the big city to the countryside for her career. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the duo. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism avoids being overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
