We present a dare for long-term couples who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it may seem like typical body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep examination about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story begins when the couple transition from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity begins influencing the duo. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building of scares, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending 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 look at your significant other and state, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu at present.
