We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it could look like standard body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the actors infuse a unique chemistry to their roles, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past simple connection.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that arise in any relationship after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
