Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like standard body horror, but within Together exists a profound examination about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story commences when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes during something disturbing). The director orchestrates these parts expertly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only Brie and Franco, 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 distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that come with long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
