We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your loved one and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like typical body horror, but beneath Together lies a intense meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story starts when Millie and Tim transition from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar story element, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie 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 experience right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform at present.
