Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its online premiere on Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like conventional physical horror, but beneath Together resides a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together represents the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story starts when the couple transition from the urban environment to the rural area for professional reasons. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s primarily where the cliches cease. 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 new home, a tempest descends, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the pair. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying horror experience, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie avoids making either of his characters the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the type of challenges that come with long-term unions after ten years. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can experience right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
