Consider this a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 recently had its online premiere on Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like typical biological terror, but within Together exists a intense examination about how we choose to love each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents 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, partners that have remained a couple for a decade. Married in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for her career. A familiar narrative setup, sure, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an hole in the earth. After a night spent there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding simple connection.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying of scares, weaving in moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) physical transformations, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts expertly and wraps them up in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is waning due to a lack of intimacy. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and removed from his support system. He fears the concept of completely losing his sense of self in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
The couple grapple with the type of challenges that are inherent in most partnerships over a long period. Fundamentally, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and open up at times. But beneath it all, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a brilliant analogue to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together in harmony.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the film’s ultimate message about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, some couples who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a telling indicator of how you view relationships. Will the ending sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply look at your significant other and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an exploration you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu as of this moment.
