We present a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its streaming debut via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like conventional body horror, but within Together lies a intense examination about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the conventions end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the duo. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
