Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who enjoy the horror genre: Settle in with your loved one and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard physical horror, but beneath Together lies a profound contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used story element, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts expertly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He fears the notion of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision is that he avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions over a long period. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in one of the characters 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 at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
