Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your partner and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its streaming debut via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like typical body horror, but within Together exists a deep contemplation about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their country house, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence takes hold of the duo. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He fears the notion of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
