Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it might appear like conventional body horror, but inside Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when the couple relocate from the big city to the rural area for her career. A familiar narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn fright fest, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He dreads the notion of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that come with most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu as of this moment.
