Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your loved one and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like standard body horror, but inside Together lies a deep examination about how we choose to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors bring a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative commences when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two discover an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of completely losing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he can’t drive and needs Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that come with most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could function as a revealing measure of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake right now.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
