We present a dare for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its online premiere on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it might appear like typical physical horror, but inside Together lies a deep examination about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the two stars infuse a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story starts when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the country for her career. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy 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 slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He fears the idea of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the kind of problems that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these concerns of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the allegory never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
