We present a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like standard physical horror, but within Together lies a deep examination about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, the actors contribute a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Millie and Tim relocate from the big city to the country for her career. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the two fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director weaves these elements together neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his support system. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together never makes one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple confront the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions a decade in. At their core, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the metaphor avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform now.
