Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Sit down with your loved one and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the actors infuse a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, blending moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple face the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply look at your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
