Consider this a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your partner and stream Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere on Hulu. Outwardly, it might appear like typical body horror, but within Together resides a deep meditation about our choices in loving one another.
A Debut Feature Delving into Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have been together for over ten years. Married in actuality in 2017, the two stars contribute a special spark to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The story starts when the couple move from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A familiar plot device, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the conventions end. Together becomes as much a examination of mental states of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While hiking near their country house, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity takes hold of the duo. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past typical partnership.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying of scares, interspersing elements of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but not excessively graphic) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes in the middle of something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and wraps them up in a slowly mounting sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A significant portion of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and separated by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and distant from his network of friends. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and needs Millie for transportation.
The director's cleverest decision is that he never makes one partner or the other the clear bad guy.
Both characters confront the type of challenges that are inherent in long-term unions over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for one another. They share moments of joy, offer support, and share intimately at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their relationship.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these concerns of codependency and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Debated Finale
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have interpreted the film as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. On the other hand, some couples having disagreements found that the film actually helped them make up.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and feel frustration, or simply look at your partner and say, “I understand that choice”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on Hulu's platform as of this moment.
