Consider this a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional body horror, but beneath Together lies a profound contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together is the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The plot starts when the couple transition from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity begins influencing the pair. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying fright fest, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his support system. He fears the concept of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the symbolism never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a strong argument for staying single. Conversely, some couples who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the finale inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform at present.
