Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like standard physical horror, but beneath Together lies a deep contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for a decade. Married in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building fright fest, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these concerns of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on right now.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
