Here's a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your significant other and view Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it might appear like typical body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep examination about our choices in loving each other.
A Debut Feature Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is 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 over ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The plot commences when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they masterfully render manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of completely losing 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 getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting either of his characters the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they have affection for each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. It has been said that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “I understand that choice”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
