Consider this a test for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like typical biological terror, but within Together resides a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing moments of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in Together refrains from painting one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. At their core, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights serve the other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
