Consider this a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it could look like standard biological terror, but within Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the conventions conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the duo. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He fears the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that come with long-term unions after ten years. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could function as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
