We present a test for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your significant other and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like standard physical horror, but within Together lies a profound contemplation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A commonly used 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 film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building of scares, weaving in bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of completely losing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes either of his characters the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that come with long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
