We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like conventional biological terror, but inside Together lies a intense contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the duo. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building fright fest, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). The director orchestrates these parts seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He dreads the concept of completely losing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that come with any relationship a decade in. Deep down, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and fully committing to another person, the allegory avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform at present.
