We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like conventional physical horror, but inside Together resides a profound meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, blending bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is intensified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that come with most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the symbolism avoids being overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale inspire anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
