Here's a challenge for long-term couples who appreciate the horror genre: Sit down with your significant other and watch Together. This critically acclaimed 2025 movie has now made its streaming debut on Hulu. On the surface, it could look like conventional body horror, but beneath Together resides a profound meditation about our choices in loving each other.
An Introductory Film Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together represents the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It features actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for over ten years. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the actors infuse a particular energy to their characters, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The plot commences when Tim and Millie move from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used story element, of course, but that’s largely where the tropes cease. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a body horror flick.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While hiking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence takes hold of the pair. This force induces a paranormal intimacy between them that goes well past emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a gradually intensifying horror experience, interspersing elements of fever-dream horrors, gross (but never too gross) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous exchanges (sometimes in the middle of something horrific). Shanks orchestrates these parts neatly and presents them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A great deal of Together is solely Brie and Franco, and they masterfully render countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Millie's sense of self and sense of connection is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his reluctance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
Tim, on the other hand experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of totally forfeiting his personal autonomy in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making either of his characters the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships a decade in. Deep down, they still love each other. They share moments of joy, provide solace, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an persistent feeling of questioning about their relationship.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the supernatural forces in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of codependency and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor does not come across as hamfisted or heavy-handed. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the relationship narrative. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s conclusion, which won’t be spoiled here, has created disagreement on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a strong argument for staying single. On the other hand, a few pairs experiencing tension found that the film ended up guiding them to reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own response could act as a great barometer of how you perceive partnership. Will the conclusion inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a heartwarming sense of hope? Will you recognize your own traits in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply look at your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
No matter your reaction, Together is an test you can experience at this very moment.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu now.
