We present a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your significant other and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like typical body horror, but inside Together exists a intense meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, interspersing moments of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his support system. He dreads the idea of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that come with any relationship after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
