Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like conventional body horror, but beneath Together resides a intense examination about the ways we decide to love each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The narrative begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the pair. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building of scares, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his social circle. He fears the concept of completely losing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions 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 under the surface, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory does not come across as hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
