Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like conventional biological terror, but within Together exists a deep meditation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when the couple relocate from the big city to the rural area for her career. A commonly used plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render 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 hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He fears the concept of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that come with long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
