Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your significant other and view Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like standard body horror, but within Together lies a intense contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative begins when the couple relocate from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While trekking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the two fall into an underground cave. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity begins influencing the couple. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn of scares, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his network of friends. He fears the idea of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he can’t drive and relies on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he avoids making Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
Both characters grapple with the kind of problems that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
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 a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your other half and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.