We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like conventional biological terror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together represents the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story commences when the couple transition from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. 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 trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building fright fest, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his network of friends. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending sow anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
