Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like standard body horror, but beneath Together exists a deep contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A familiar story element, of course, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force takes hold of the duo. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. 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.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can undertake right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.