Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. On the surface, it may seem like standard physical horror, but beneath Together resides a profound contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when the couple transition from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is only the two lead actors, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence 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 inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the allegory does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. Meanwhile, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
