Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like typical physical horror, but beneath Together exists a deep examination about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and presents them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they still love 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 future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the allegory does not come across as overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama serve the other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and scream at your TV, 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 currently playing on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
