Consider this a challenge for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of scary movies: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. The critically acclaimed 2025 movie just made its streaming debut on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like typical body horror, but inside Together lies a profound contemplation about our choices in loving our partners.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for ten years. Married in reality in 2017, the two stars contribute a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a enduring union.
The story starts when Millie and Tim transition from the metropolis to the rural area for her career. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Paranormal Spark
While walking near their country house, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim discover an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the couple. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a methodically building of scares, blending elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and presents them in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the two lead actors, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Millie’s confidence and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his struggling artistic pursuits inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his social circle. He fears the idea of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision in Together never makes one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie grapple with the type of challenges that arise in most partnerships over a long period. Fundamentally, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and fully committing to a partner, the symbolism never feels clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes offer a brilliant analogue to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have seen the movie as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the finale plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your significant other and state, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu now.
