Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like standard physical horror, but inside Together resides a deep meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Having wed in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when the couple transition from the big city to the countryside for her career. A commonly used plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together transforms 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 walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his social circle. He fears the notion of completely losing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
