Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Settle in with your loved one and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like standard body horror, but inside Together lies a profound meditation about the ways we decide to love each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for ten years. United in marriage in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The story starts when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A commonly used plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the tropes conclude. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something horrific). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that single viewers have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
