We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional biological terror, but inside Together exists a deep meditation about our choices in loving one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors bring a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when the couple transition from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s primarily where the conventions end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is intensified by the reality he can’t drive and needs Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie face the type of challenges that arise in any relationship after ten years. At their core, they still love one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to another person, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could function as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply look at your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
