We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of horror films: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but inside Together exists a deep contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their roles, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, blending moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He fears the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in another person. This fear is intensified by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters face the kind of problems that come with any relationship after ten years. Deep down, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
