We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate scary movies: Sit down with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep meditation about our choices in loving our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for ten years. Having wed in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The plot starts when Millie and Tim move from the big city to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s mostly where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is only the two lead actors, and they masterfully render numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to chase only his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in this movie never makes either of his characters the definite antagonist.
Both characters confront the kind of problems that come with long-term unions over a long period. Deep down, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the allegory avoids being overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama work together symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that single viewers have understood the narrative as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could function as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you identify in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your other half and utter, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu now.
