Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like conventional physical horror, but within Together resides a intense examination about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film 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 ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story commences when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force takes hold of the duo. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn fright fest, weaving in moments of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is amplified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters face the kind of problems that come with most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your other half and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can experience today.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.