We present a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it might appear like standard body horror, but inside Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story starts when the couple move from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that come with any relationship over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
