We present a challenge for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like standard body horror, but within Together lies a intense meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the actors bring a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the conventions conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking 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 mysterious influence takes hold of the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The entire film is a slow burn fright fest, blending bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and wraps them up in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He fears the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters confront the kind of problems that arise in any relationship over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
