Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your significant other and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like standard physical horror, but beneath Together exists a deep examination about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors bring a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the conventions end. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the duo. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that come with any relationship after ten years. Deep down, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
