Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like typical biological terror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about the ways we decide to love each other.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Married in real life in 2017, the actors bring a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their country house, a storm hits, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, weaving in elements of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the kind of problems that come with any relationship after ten years. At their core, they still love one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
