Here's a test for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Settle in with your loved one and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like conventional body horror, but within Together exists a intense meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when the couple relocate from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn horror experience, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting either of his characters the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that come with long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they still love one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
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.
