We present a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your loved one and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like standard biological terror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the actors infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, blending elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple confront the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
