Here's a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like conventional body horror, but inside Together exists a profound examination about how we choose to love our partners.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when the couple transition from the metropolis to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists fall into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the pair. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is suffering due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He fears the notion of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple face the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions over a long period. Fundamentally, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the ending inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply look at your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
