Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together exists a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending bits of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts expertly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his support system. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together never makes Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism avoids being overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale sow anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
