Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard body horror, but inside Together resides a intense meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your significant other and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
