Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Get comfortable with your significant other and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional biological terror, but inside Together lies a intense examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story begins when the couple relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence takes hold of the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his social circle. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that come with most partnerships over a long period. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the allegory never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
