Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your partner and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like standard body horror, but inside Together lies a profound meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for a decade. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The plot starts when the couple move from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing bits of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple confront the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
