We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like standard body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the countryside for her career. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an underground cave. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that come with any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a powerful case for remaining unattached. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion sow anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
