We present a test for long-term couples who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like conventional biological terror, but within Together exists a profound meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The narrative begins when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together evolves into 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 new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, blending bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and distant from his support system. He dreads the idea of completely losing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the reality he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie never makes one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple face the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and fully committing to another person, the allegory avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
