Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate horror films: Sit down with your significant other and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together resides a deep contemplation about how we choose to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the actors bring a particular energy to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story begins when the couple transition from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A familiar story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their country house, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, blending elements of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that arise in any relationship after ten years. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
