We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. At first glance, it could look like standard body horror, but within Together resides a deep contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim relocate from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. Deep down, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
