We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like typical body horror, but inside Together lies a profound examination about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the actors bring a special spark to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the duo. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters face the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the allegory avoids being clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
