Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Get comfortable with your loved one and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together resides a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A commonly used story element, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director weaves these elements together neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your significant other and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
