Here's a test for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together lies a profound meditation about our choices in loving one another.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the country for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two discover an underground cave. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence starts to affect the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu as of this moment.
