Consider this a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like standard biological terror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the actors bring a particular energy to their roles, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The story begins when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their rural residence, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force creates a paranormal intimacy between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, interspersing bits of hallucinatory nightmares, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny interactions (sometimes during something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together expertly and presents them in a slowly mounting atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the two lead actors, and they deftly portray countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and distant from his support system. He dreads the concept of completely losing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters face the kind of problems that come with long-term unions a decade in. At their core, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could function as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
