We present a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like typical body horror, but within Together resides a intense meditation about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars infuse a particular energy to their roles, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and far away from his social circle. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. On the other hand, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply look at your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
