Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like standard body horror, but within Together exists a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars infuse a particular energy to their roles, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when the couple relocate from the big city to the countryside for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple confront the sort of issues that come with most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they still love each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
