We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together exists a intense meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when the couple move from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the tropes end. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and the two tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a methodically building fright fest, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their bond.
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 avoids being hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and state, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
