We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like standard biological terror, but within Together lies a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the countryside for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his network of friends. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform at present.
