Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of horror films: Settle in with your loved one and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. On the surface, it may seem like typical biological terror, but beneath Together lies a deep contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their roles, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He fears the concept of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that arise in any relationship after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the allegory does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your significant other and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
