We present a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy the horror genre: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard physical horror, but within Together lies a deep contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
A Debut Feature Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the countryside for her career. A commonly used story element, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He fears the idea of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie face the sort of issues that come with long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the ending plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can undertake right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
