Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like typical biological terror, but inside Together exists a profound contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The story begins when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together refrains from painting one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the sort of issues that arise in any relationship a decade in. At their core, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the metaphor never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
