Here's a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional body horror, but within Together resides a deep examination about the ways we decide to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when the couple transition from the urban environment to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together transforms 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 protagonists discover an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity begins influencing the duo. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his network of friends. He fears the concept of completely losing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. Meanwhile, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
