We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your loved one and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it might appear like conventional body horror, but beneath Together exists a intense meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that come with most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they still love one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
