Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and view Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like standard biological terror, but within Together exists a profound contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for a decade. Having wed in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but never too gross) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and distant from his support system. He fears the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the reality he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple confront the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship a decade in. Deep down, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could act as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
