We present a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like typical biological terror, but inside Together exists a intense meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the conventions conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the two fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, weaving in moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie never makes Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor avoids being clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
