Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together resides a intense meditation about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence takes hold of the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, weaving in elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
