Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Sit down with your loved one and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like typical biological terror, but within Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors infuse a unique chemistry to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and removed from his network of friends. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the sort of issues that come with most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and say, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu at present.
