We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like standard biological terror, but beneath Together exists a profound examination about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when the couple move from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions 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.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and delivers them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
