Here's a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like conventional body horror, but within Together exists a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when the couple relocate from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn fright fest, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He dreads the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that arise in any relationship a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, 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 supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply look at your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
