We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like typical biological terror, but within Together resides a intense meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying fright fest, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He dreads the concept of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple confront the sort of issues that come with any relationship after ten years. At their core, they still love one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor avoids being overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply look at your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu as of this moment.
