Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your partner and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 recently had its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building fright fest, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components expertly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness 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 impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He fears the notion of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in any relationship after ten years. Deep down, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
