We present a test for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional body horror, but beneath Together lies a deep examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The story starts when the couple move from the metropolis to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). The director weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. 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 failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together refrains from painting one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the allegory never feels hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform at present.
