Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your loved one and stream Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like typical body horror, but within Together lies a intense examination about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the actors bring a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative commences when Millie and Tim relocate from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence starts to affect the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He fears the concept of completely losing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple face the sort of issues that come with most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
