Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your partner and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard biological terror, but within Together exists a profound examination about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the duo. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts expertly and delivers them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He dreads the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the allegory avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake right now.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
