We present a test for long-term couples who are fans of horror films: Get comfortable with your significant other and view Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together lies a intense examination about our choices in loving one another.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim relocate from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions cease. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the two fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn fright fest, blending moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Michael Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the idea of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the sort of issues that arise in long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can experience at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu now.
