Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together exists a profound contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when the couple move from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Both characters face the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism avoids being overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
