We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like conventional body horror, but inside Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative commences when Millie and Tim transition from the big city to the countryside for her career. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity begins influencing the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying fright fest, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can undertake right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
