We present a test for partners in committed relationships who are fans of scary movies: Get comfortable with your loved one and stream Together. This independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. At first glance, it may seem like standard biological terror, but inside Together lies a profound examination about how we choose to love one another.
A Debut Feature Exploring Relationship Dynamics
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, partners that have remained a couple for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their characters, masterfully depicting both the joys and frustrations of a long-term relationship.
The narrative commences when the couple relocate from the urban environment to the rural area for professional reasons. A commonly used plot device, of course, but that’s largely where the conventions end. Together evolves into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a body horror flick.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence begins influencing the duo. This force compels a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond simple connection.
The whole movie is a methodically building of scares, weaving in bits of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray manifold depths to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is waning due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and distant from his support system. He fears the concept of totally forfeiting his individual identity in Millie. This fear is amplified by the fact he does not operate a vehicle and relies on Millie for getting around.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together avoids making either of his characters the obvious villain.
The couple grapple with the sort of issues that are inherent in most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the otherworldly presence in Together represent these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the symbolism avoids being hamfisted or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements offer a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. Accounts suggest that single viewers have understood the narrative as a compelling reason for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs having disagreements found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own reaction could act as a great barometer of how you think about commitment. Will the ending plant a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in one of the characters and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an exploration you can embark on at this very moment.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
