We present a dare for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like conventional body horror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features 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. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple confront the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
