Here's a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your partner and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional body horror, but within Together resides a profound examination about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars 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 been together for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a special spark to their characters, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the duo. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform at present.
