Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your loved one and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like typical biological terror, but within Together exists a intense meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The story starts when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. 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 tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in bits of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He fears the concept of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that arise in any relationship over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a compelling reason for staying single. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
