Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like standard body horror, but within Together lies a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors bring a special spark to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the conventions cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie confront the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and fully committing to another person, the allegory never feels hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could act 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 see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and state, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can experience at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
