We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your loved one and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like standard body horror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative begins when the couple move from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He fears the idea of completely losing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the sort of issues that come with long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they still love one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform at present.
