We present a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of horror films: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like standard body horror, but within Together resides a intense examination about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a special spark to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The story commences when Tim and Millie move from the metropolis to the countryside for her career. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, of course, but that’s primarily where the tropes cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a violent storm occurs, and the two tumble into an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force starts to affect the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a methodically building horror experience, blending bits of fever-dream horrors, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Complex Characterizations
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
Conversely, Tim experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of utterly sacrificing his personal autonomy in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the type of challenges that are inherent in any relationship over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They still laugh together, offer support, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together represent these fears of codependency and fully committing to another person, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the supernatural and the personal enhance each other in harmony.
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 single viewers have understood the narrative as a powerful case for staying single. Meanwhile, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them make up.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could act as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the finale inspire a sense of discomfort and fear, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an experiment you can embark on today.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
