Here's a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional body horror, but inside Together lies a deep contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, interspersing moments of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory avoids being hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu at present.
