Here's a dare for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your loved one and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like standard body horror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for a decade. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The narrative begins when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, of course, but that’s mostly where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity begins influencing the duo. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He fears the concept of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the sort of issues that come with most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the allegory never feels hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your other half and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can experience at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
