We present a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your loved one and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like conventional body horror, but inside Together lies a intense examination about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the actors bring a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim relocate from the big city to the countryside for her career. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He fears the concept of completely losing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters face the sort of issues that arise in any relationship a decade in. At their core, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the allegory avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for staying single. Meanwhile, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire 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 look at your partner and state, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
