We present a test for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your loved one and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like standard biological terror, but within Together exists a deep meditation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie contribute a unique chemistry to their roles, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when the couple transition from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks weaves these elements together neatly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A large part of Together is solely the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection is suffering due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the idea of utterly sacrificing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie refrains from painting one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They still laugh together, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the allegory avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply look at your significant other and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
