Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like typical physical horror, but beneath Together resides a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a special spark to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The story begins when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence starts to affect the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in moments of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple face the type of challenges that come with any relationship after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform at present.
