Here's a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your partner and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like typical physical horror, but beneath Together lies a profound contemplation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The story starts when the couple move from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and distant from his network of friends. He fears the notion of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they still love each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have understood the narrative as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and state, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
