Here's a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like typical body horror, but beneath Together exists a profound meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence takes hold of the duo. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying horror experience, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Both characters face the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
