We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like typical biological terror, but beneath Together exists a deep contemplation about our choices in loving one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative begins when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence starts to affect the pair. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, blending moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his support system. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes either of his characters the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that come with any relationship 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 below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory avoids being overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, 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 compelling reason for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
