Consider this a test for long-term couples who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but within Together lies a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together represents the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their roles, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The story starts when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their country house, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in moments of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and far away from his social circle. He dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
