We present a challenge for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like typical biological terror, but beneath Together lies a deep contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when the couple move from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity begins influencing the duo. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu at present.
