Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional biological terror, but inside Together resides a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, blending moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is only the two lead actors, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that come with any relationship after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “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 now.
