Here's a dare for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate horror films: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it might appear like conventional body horror, but inside Together resides a profound meditation about our choices in loving one another.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie transition from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an underground cave. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing bits of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and delivers them in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He dreads the idea of completely losing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that come with long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can experience today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform now.
