We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who appreciate horror films: Sit down with your partner and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like standard body horror, but beneath Together lies a profound examination about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a methodically building fright fest, blending elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions a decade in. At their core, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to another person, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can undertake right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu at present.
