Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who appreciate scary movies: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like standard physical horror, but inside Together resides a deep examination about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He fears the idea of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the sort of issues that arise in any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.