We present a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate horror films: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it may seem like standard physical horror, but beneath Together exists a deep contemplation about our choices in loving one another.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative begins when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with any relationship after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience today.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
