Consider this a challenge for partners in committed relationships who enjoy scary movies: Sit down with your loved one and watch Together. The 2025 indie hit recently had its online premiere via Hulu. At first glance, it could look like typical physical horror, but within Together lies a profound contemplation about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It features the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, a pair who are not married that have been together for ten years. United in marriage in real life in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a special spark to their portrayals, expertly portraying both the good and bad of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Tim and Millie relocate from the metropolis to the rural area for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical plot device, sure, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While trekking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists tumble into an underground cave. After a night spent there and managing to escape, a strange force takes hold of the pair. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The entire film is a slow burn of scares, blending bits of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something grotesque). Shanks weaves these elements together expertly and delivers them in a consistently growing aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is solely the two lead actors, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie’s confidence 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 failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Conversely, Tim feels trapped and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the concept of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is intensified by the reality he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
Both characters face the kind of problems that are inherent in long-term unions a decade in. Deep down, they still love each other. They still laugh together, provide solace, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an unavoidable current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the otherworldly presence in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a ideal counterpart to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has created disagreement on the movie's final takeaway about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that unattached audience members have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Meanwhile, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could function as a telling indicator of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply glance toward your significant other and state, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu now.
