Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it could look like conventional body horror, but within Together resides a profound meditation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative commences when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, weaving in elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions over a long period. Deep down, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
