We present a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate horror films: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like standard physical horror, but inside Together lies a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story begins when the couple transition from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, of course, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. 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 unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
