We present a test for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. At first glance, it could look like typical physical horror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when the couple move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking 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 mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he can’t drive and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Conversely, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and utter, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
