Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your loved one and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like typical physical horror, but inside Together exists a deep examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when Tim and Millie transition from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his support system. He dreads the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that are inherent in any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the finale inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
