Consider this a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of horror films: Sit down with your loved one and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like typical body horror, but within Together lies a deep examination about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors infuse a unique chemistry to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story begins when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar story element, sure, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying fright fest, weaving in bits of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that arise in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor avoids being clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Conversely, 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 function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
