We present a dare for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like typical body horror, but beneath Together exists a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the country for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie never makes either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they still love each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu at present.
