Consider this a test for long-term couples who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like standard body horror, but inside Together resides a intense examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists discover an underground cave. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The entire film is a methodically building horror experience, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie face the type of challenges that arise in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve 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 see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
