Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Settle in with your partner and view Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like typical body horror, but within Together resides a profound examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when the couple transition from the big city to the rural area for her career. A commonly used story element, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the type of challenges that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement 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 remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
