Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like typical body horror, but beneath Together lies a profound examination about how we choose to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the conventions end. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence takes hold of the duo. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn fright fest, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that arise in any relationship after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights serve the other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending inspire anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu as of this moment.
