Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your loved one and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard biological terror, but inside Together lies a intense contemplation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when the couple relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar story element, admittedly, but that’s largely where the conventions cease. Together becomes 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 walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing moments of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that come with most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the allegory avoids being hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
