Here's a dare for long-term couples who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together represents the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The story commences when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the conventions conclude. Together becomes 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 hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence takes hold of the duo. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He fears the concept of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
