We present a dare for partners in committed relationships who enjoy horror films: Settle in with your partner and view Together. This 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like standard body horror, but inside Together lies a intense meditation about how we choose to love each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have stayed together for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a particular energy to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie transition from the metropolis to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes end. Together becomes as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the two discover an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force creates a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding typical partnership.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, blending elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Michael Shanks weaves these elements together seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A great deal of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He dreads the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting either of his characters the clear bad guy.
Both characters face the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism never feels overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments present a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your significant other and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
