Consider this a test for long-term couples who enjoy the horror genre: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. The 2025 indie hit has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like standard body horror, but within Together exists a profound contemplation about how we choose to love our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It showcases Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the actors bring a special spark to their characters, expertly portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The story commences when the couple move from the metropolis to the country for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s largely where the cliches conclude. Together transforms into as much a examination of mental states of the partnership as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their new home, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force begins influencing the pair. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but never too gross) body horror, and surprisingly comedic exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and delivers them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they masterfully render countless layers to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his failing musical ambitions slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve left the city and removed from his support system. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the circumstance he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie face the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. Deep down, they still love each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of unhealthy attachment and totally devoting oneself to another person, the allegory never feels hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
