Here's a dare for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like conventional body horror, but inside Together exists a deep meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative begins when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A commonly used story element, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building fright fest, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his support system. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the type of challenges that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights serve the other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
