Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together exists a intense meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when the couple move from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s primarily where the conventions conclude. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve moved to the country and far away from his social circle. He dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory never feels hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
