Consider this a dare for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 just made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. On the surface, it could look like typical physical horror, but within Together resides a profound examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Debut Feature Investigating Partnership Complexities
Together represents the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their characters, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story commences when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The entire film is a methodically building fright fest, weaving in moments of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes during something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together avoids making one partner or the other the obvious villain.
The couple face the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your significant other and say, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can experience today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu at present.
