Consider this a dare for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like standard biological terror, but inside Together resides a deep contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they masterfully render countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand 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 dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships over a long period. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
