Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like conventional body horror, but beneath Together exists a profound meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim relocate from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the conventions cease. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes either of his characters the obvious villain.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships over a long period. At their core, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
