Here's a dare for long-term couples who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your significant other and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it might appear like standard body horror, but within Together exists a deep examination about the ways we decide to love one another.
An Introductory Film Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together is the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie bring a special spark to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A commonly used story element, admittedly, but that’s mostly where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and Millie and Tim fall into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and eventually escaping, a strange force starts to affect the pair. This force compels a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a methodically building of scares, interspersing elements of dreamlike terrors, unsettling (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the concept of utterly sacrificing 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 director's cleverest decision in this movie never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie grapple with the kind of problems that arise in any relationship a decade in. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and are vulnerable at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together symbolize these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the symbolism avoids being clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a compelling reason for remaining unattached. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could function as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion plant feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your significant other and state, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is currently playing on Hulu's platform at present.
