We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like typical biological terror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the conventions cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the sort of issues that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the allegory never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
