Here's a dare for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your loved one and view Together. This 2025 indie hit just made its launch on a streaming platform on Hulu. On the surface, it may seem like standard body horror, but within Together exists a deep meditation about our choices in loving each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together represents the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Millie and Tim, partners that have remained a couple for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their portrayals, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The story starts when Tim and Millie move from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A somewhat stereotypical story element, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the conventions cease. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the partnership as it is a body horror flick.
A Paranormal Spark
While hiking near their country house, a violent storm occurs, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After spending the night there and managing to escape, a mysterious influence starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, interspersing elements of dreamlike terrors, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and authentically humorous dialogue (sometimes amidst something grotesque). The director skillfully blends these components seamlessly and delivers them in a slowly mounting aura of dread.
Nuanced Portrayals
A large part of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray countless layers to the partnership at the film's core. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is suffering due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and isolated by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He dreads the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is amplified by the fact he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for transportation.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he refrains from painting one partner or the other the obvious villain.
Tim and Millie face the sort of issues that come with most partnerships over a long period. Deep down, they have affection for each other. They find humor with each other, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together represent these concerns of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor does not come across as overly obvious or self-important. Instead, these visceral horror elements present a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the supernatural and the personal serve the other in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which is best experienced firsthand, has sparked debate on the story's concluding statement about codependent relationships. Accounts suggest that those not in relationships 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 reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could function as a great barometer of how you view relationships. Will the ending plant anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you see yourself in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply look at your other half and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is streaming on the streaming service Hulu at present.
