We present a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie recently had its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. At first glance, it could look like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together exists a deep contemplation about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring Partnership Complexities
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot commences when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A familiar plot device, admittedly, but that’s largely where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, blending elements of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and removed from his network of friends. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in another person. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships after ten years. Deep down, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of excessive reliance and fully committing to another person, the allegory avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a brilliant analogue 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 left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply look at your other half and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu at present.
