Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like conventional physical horror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story commences when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, 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 unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his network of friends. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that arise in any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the allegory never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
