Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together exists a deep examination about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim transition from the big city to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim discover an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn fright fest, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He fears the idea of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that come with any relationship after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama serve the other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
