We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it could look like standard physical horror, but beneath Together lies a profound meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches cease. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying fright fest, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He fears the concept of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
