Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like standard body horror, but within Together exists a intense examination about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together represents the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight 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 well past typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn fright fest, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He fears the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the fact he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these concerns of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your other half and state, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
