Here's a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate horror films: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like standard physical horror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A familiar story element, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the sort of issues that come with long-term unions after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these concerns of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
