Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like typical physical horror, but within Together exists a profound examination about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story starts when the couple relocate from the metropolis to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity begins influencing the duo. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, 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 say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
