Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your loved one and view Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like standard body horror, but within Together resides a deep contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The narrative begins when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes during something disturbing). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He fears the concept of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision is that he avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters face the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the symbolism avoids being overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Conversely, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
