Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your partner and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like standard biological terror, but beneath Together lies a intense meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar story element, sure, but that’s primarily where the conventions conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He fears the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that come with long-term unions after ten years. At their core, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor avoids being overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.