We present a challenge for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Settle in with your partner and watch Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its streaming debut on the Hulu service. On the surface, it may seem like typical biological terror, but beneath Together resides a intense contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Millie and Tim relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force takes hold of the pair. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building fright fest, blending moments of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny dialogue (sometimes during something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and distant from his social circle. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he can’t drive and needs Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in Together refrains from painting either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that arise in long-term unions a decade in. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these fears of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes provide a brilliant analogue to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for staying single. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and utter, “We could get through that together”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can experience today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
