We present a test for partners in committed relationships who enjoy the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like typical body horror, but inside Together exists a deep examination about our choices in loving one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story commences when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, blending moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply look at your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
