We present a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate horror films: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like typical physical horror, but inside Together lies a intense meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Married in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story begins when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying fright fest, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and distant from his network of friends. He dreads the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is intensified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that come with long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could function as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
