Consider this a test for long-term couples who are fans of horror films: Sit down with your loved one and view Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like typical body horror, but beneath Together resides a deep meditation about the ways we decide to love one another.
A Directorial Debut Exploring The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a unique chemistry to their characters, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when the couple move from the urban environment to the countryside for her career. A familiar story element, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the two tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn fright fest, blending moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) body horror, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Michael Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and presents them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He fears the notion of completely losing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision in Together avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Tim and Millie confront the kind of problems that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Fundamentally, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these anxieties of codependency and fully committing to another person, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in harmony.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners who were in conflict found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can experience today.
Together is streaming on Hulu as of this moment.
