Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who enjoy the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like standard body horror, but beneath Together resides a intense contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). The director weaves these elements together neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
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 emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships over a long period. Deep down, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of codependency and fully committing to another person, the symbolism never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can experience at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
