Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate scary movies: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like typical biological terror, but within Together resides a profound examination about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars infuse a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and state, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
