Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it may seem like conventional body horror, but beneath Together resides a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks 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 been together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the actors bring a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He fears the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
