Here's a dare for long-term couples who are fans of horror films: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. On the surface, it might appear like typical physical horror, but inside Together resides a deep contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Investigating The Nuances of Love
Together is the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when the couple transition from the metropolis to the country for her career. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, sure, but that’s largely where the cliches cease. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the pair. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn fright fest, weaving in elements of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters face the sort of issues that come with most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together symbolize these fears of codependency and totally devoting oneself to another person, the metaphor never feels overly obvious or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can experience right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
