Here's a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Get comfortable with your significant other and view Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like standard biological terror, but within Together exists a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together represents the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when the couple move from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim discover an underground cave. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that come with most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
