Consider this a test for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard body horror, but inside Together lies a deep contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when the couple move from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something disturbing). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his social circle. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these concerns of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant 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 look at your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
