Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like standard physical horror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the actors bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The story commences when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim fall into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers 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 floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He fears the idea of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple confront the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu as of this moment.
