Here's a challenge for long-term couples who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your partner and view Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but within Together resides a profound examination about how we choose to love one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, the two stars infuse a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story begins when Millie and Tim move from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim fall into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and distant from his support system. He dreads the concept of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
