Here's a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like standard physical horror, but within Together resides a intense examination about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The story starts when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical story element, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his network of friends. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Both characters confront the sort of issues that come with long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the allegory does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama serve the other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
