We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but within Together resides a intense contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie transition from the metropolis to the rural area for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the two fall into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity begins influencing the duo. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He dreads the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these concerns of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
