We present a dare for long-term couples who enjoy scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like conventional biological terror, but inside Together lies a profound meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative commences when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the country for her career. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He dreads the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions a decade in. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending sow anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can experience at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
