Consider this a test for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like typical biological terror, but inside Together lies a profound examination about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when the couple transition from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the kind of problems that arise in most partnerships over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
