We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your significant other and view Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like typical body horror, but within Together exists a intense contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their roles, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he can’t drive and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that come with long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these concerns of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow 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 partner and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
