Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but beneath Together exists a deep meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together transforms 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 hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He fears the concept of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions a decade in. At their core, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply look at your significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
