Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like standard physical horror, but within Together resides a intense meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building fright fest, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes during something disturbing). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in any relationship after ten years. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
