Consider this a dare for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like typical physical horror, but within Together resides a intense meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The story starts when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the countryside for her career. A familiar plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the pair. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters face the kind of problems that come with any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
