We present a challenge for long-term couples who enjoy horror films: Settle in with your significant other and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like typical physical horror, but inside Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The story begins when Tim and Millie move from the metropolis to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
