Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like typical body horror, but inside Together lies a profound meditation about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The story starts when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the country for her career. A familiar story element, of course, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple confront the sort of issues that are inherent in any relationship a decade in. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform at present.
