Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your loved one and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it might appear like typical physical horror, but within Together lies a intense meditation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors bring a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and delivers them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that come with long-term unions a decade in. At their core, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, 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 other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
