We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Sit down with your partner and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on the Hulu service. On the surface, it might appear like typical biological terror, but inside Together lies a deep examination about how we choose to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the debut feature-length film for director Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, partners that have stayed together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, the actors bring a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a enduring union.
The story commences when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together evolves into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending bits of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes during something grotesque). The director weaves these elements together neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie’s confidence and sense of connection 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.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
Both characters face the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together symbolize these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to another person, the allegory never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a strong argument for remaining unattached. Conversely, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own interpretation could act as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you identify in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu as of this moment.
