Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard physical horror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when the couple transition from the metropolis to the country for Millie’s job. A commonly used story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions conclude. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that arise in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
