Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like standard body horror, but within Together resides a profound contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors bring a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render 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 underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters face the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and fully committing to another person, the metaphor never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. On the other hand, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
