We present a test for long-term couples who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like typical physical horror, but inside Together lies a profound examination about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when the couple move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche 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 finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that come with most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they still love one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply look at your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
