We present a challenge for long-term couples who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and view Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional biological terror, but within Together exists a profound examination about our choices in loving one another.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He dreads the idea of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they still love one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
