Consider this a test for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like standard biological terror, but within Together exists a deep contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is 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 over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he can’t drive and needs Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that arise in any relationship over a long period. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory avoids being overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.