Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but inside Together exists a deep examination about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot starts when the couple relocate from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches cease. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the duo. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, interspersing bits of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in Together refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that come with most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they still love each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
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 conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
