Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like typical body horror, but inside Together resides a profound contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in real life in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The story starts when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s primarily where the conventions conclude. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an underground cave. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He dreads the idea of completely losing his sense of self in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that come with any relationship after ten years. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the allegory does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and say, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
