Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your loved one and view Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like typical body horror, but within Together resides a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Debut Feature Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story starts when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the conventions conclude. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending bits of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and delivers them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection 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 experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He fears the concept of completely losing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he can’t drive and needs Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that arise in most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply look at your partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
