Here's a test for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together lies a profound meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for a decade. Having wed in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches conclude. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The entire film is a slow burn fright fest, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He fears the notion of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that single viewers have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. Conversely, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and state, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
