We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but inside Together exists a intense examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory avoids being overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
