Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your partner and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like typical biological terror, but inside Together lies a profound meditation about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story starts when Tim and Millie move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their country house, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his support system. He dreads the idea of completely losing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
