We present a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional body horror, but inside Together exists a intense meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim transition from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a strange force takes hold of the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, interspersing moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He fears the notion of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is intensified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory does not come across as hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
