Here's a dare for long-term couples who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its streaming debut via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like typical body horror, but inside Together lies a intense meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he can’t drive and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that come with long-term unions a decade in. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
