Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut via Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like typical physical horror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a unique chemistry to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The story begins when Millie and Tim transition from the big city to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, weaving in elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but never too gross) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the kind of problems that come with any relationship after ten years. At their core, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the allegory avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
