Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like typical body horror, but beneath Together exists a profound examination about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when the couple transition from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the conventions cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn of scares, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He fears the notion of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
