Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like typical physical horror, but inside Together lies a intense examination about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building fright fest, interspersing bits of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts expertly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they still love one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension 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 think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
