Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like standard biological terror, but beneath Together exists a intense contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, blending bits of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He fears the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could act as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the ending plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
