We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like standard body horror, but within Together exists a profound contemplation about how we choose to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the country for her career. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches cease. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending sow 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 significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
