Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your loved one and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like conventional biological terror, but within Together lies a profound examination about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a particular energy to their roles, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when the couple move from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying fright fest, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his network of friends. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that come with most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these anxieties of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory avoids being overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
