Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate scary movies: Get comfortable with your significant other and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like typical physical horror, but within Together exists a deep meditation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for director 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 been together for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. 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 violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the duo. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He dreads the notion of completely losing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that come with long-term unions after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these concerns of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, 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, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
