Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and view Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional body horror, but inside Together lies a profound meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie transition from the metropolis to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s largely where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an underground cave. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly 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 deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions after ten years. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a powerful case for remaining unattached. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
