Here's a dare for long-term couples who enjoy scary movies: Settle in with your significant other and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like standard physical horror, but beneath Together lies a deep meditation about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. United in marriage in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their characters, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The story begins when Millie and Tim transition from the urban environment to the countryside for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an subterranean cavern. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The complete narrative is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in elements of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes during something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and removed from his social circle. He dreads the concept of completely losing his individual identity in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor never feels hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own interpretation could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the finale plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply glance toward your other half and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
