Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like conventional physical horror, but within Together resides a deep contemplation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars 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. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a particular energy to their roles, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and the two fall into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence starts to affect the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his support system. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together never makes Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
The couple face the sort of issues that come with long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
