Consider this a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like typical body horror, but within Together lies a profound examination about our choices in loving one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, blending bits of fever-dream horrors, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only the two lead actors, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He fears the concept of completely losing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions a decade in. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your partner and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
