We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like typical physical horror, but inside Together lies a profound meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the actors bring a unique chemistry to their roles, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off 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 intensified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they have affection for each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have seen the movie as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could function as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the ending plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
