Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its streaming debut via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard physical horror, but beneath Together lies a deep contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the country for professional reasons. A familiar story element, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two discover an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes during something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that come with long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
