We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it could look like conventional body horror, but beneath Together resides a profound meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when the couple transition from the big city to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions 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 trekking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the sort of issues that come with any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
