Here's a test for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and stream Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like conventional body horror, but within Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building horror experience, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple face the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu as of this moment.
