Consider this a test for long-term couples who appreciate scary movies: Get comfortable with your significant other and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. On the surface, it could look like standard biological terror, but within Together lies a profound examination about our choices in loving our partners.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together is the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a committed partnership.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, of course, but that’s primarily where the conventions conclude. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a gradually intensifying fright fest, blending bits of hallucinatory nightmares, unsettling (but not excessively graphic) physical transformations, and surprisingly comedic interactions (sometimes during something grotesque). The director orchestrates these parts expertly and delivers them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his social circle. He fears the idea of totally forfeiting his individual identity in another person. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he never makes one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Both characters grapple with the type of challenges that arise in long-term unions after ten years. Deep down, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for staying single. On the other hand, certain partners experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own response could act as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the ending inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply turn to your partner and say, “I understand that choice”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can embark on right now.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
