Consider this a test for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like typical body horror, but within Together resides a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the kind of problems that come with any relationship after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the allegory does not come across as hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, 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 function as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
