Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your significant other and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Having wed in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The narrative begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in moments of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He dreads the notion of completely losing 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 transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that come with any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to another person, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
