We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its streaming debut via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional physical horror, but within Together lies a profound meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the pair. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that come with most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these concerns of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
