Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like standard physical horror, but beneath Together lies a intense meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the rural area for professional reasons. A familiar story element, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an underground cave. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the symbolism does not come across as hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
