Here's a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who enjoy horror films: Get comfortable with your partner and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. At first glance, it may seem like standard physical horror, but within Together exists a profound contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story starts when the couple move from the big city to the rural area for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches cease. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force takes hold of the duo. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, interspersing moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that are inherent in any relationship a decade in. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them make up.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
