Here's a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard biological terror, but beneath Together lies a intense meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Tim and Millie transition from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part 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 emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple face the sort of issues that come with most partnerships over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and fully committing to another person, the allegory avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the finale inspire anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu as of this moment.
