We present a dare for long-term couples who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard biological terror, but beneath Together exists a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when Tim and Millie move from the metropolis to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the conventions cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their country house, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim fall into an underground cave. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is intensified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
