We present a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your significant other and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like standard body horror, but within Together exists a deep examination about how we choose to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their roles, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the countryside for her career. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the conventions conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their country house, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building fright fest, weaving in moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his floundering music career gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his support system. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together never makes Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that come with most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to another person, the symbolism avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for staying single. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and say, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
