Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like typical body horror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the two stars infuse a unique chemistry to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the big city to the countryside for her career. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches cease. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity begins influencing the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but never too gross) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can undertake right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
