We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like standard biological terror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The narrative begins when the couple move from the big city to the countryside for her career. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building of scares, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). The director weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is intensified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
The couple face the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
