We present a dare for long-term couples who enjoy scary movies: Get comfortable with your partner and view Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its launch on a streaming platform via Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like standard biological terror, but beneath Together exists a deep contemplation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Directorial Debut Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together marks the first full-length movie for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have remained a couple for ten years. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the actors contribute a unique chemistry to their portrayals, masterfully depicting both the strengths and weaknesses of a long-term relationship.
The plot begins when Millie and Tim move from the metropolis to the countryside for professional reasons. A somewhat stereotypical narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches end. Together becomes as much a psychological exploration of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their new home, a tempest descends, and the protagonists fall into an underground cave. After being trapped overnight there and managing to escape, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force compels a supernatural closeness between them that goes far beyond typical partnership.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, interspersing moments of dreamlike terrors, gross (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes in the middle of something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components expertly and delivers them in a consistently growing sense of impending doom.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is only Brie and Franco, and they deftly portray numerous complexities to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and sense of connection is deteriorating due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his reluctance to chase only his struggling artistic pursuits slowly bubbles to the surface.
Tim, on the other hand senses confinement and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and far away from his support system. He dreads the idea of completely losing his personal autonomy in Millie. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together refrains from painting one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
The couple grapple with the kind of problems that come with any relationship over a long period. At their core, they continue to care for one another. They still laugh together, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an persistent current of uncertainty about their bond.
Thematic Depth
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 clumsy or self-important. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together in a mutually beneficial way.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s conclusion, which remains unspoiled, has left audiences divided on the story's concluding statement about enmeshed dynamics. Reports indicate that those not in relationships have seen the movie as a powerful case for staying single. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film ultimately assisted them reconcile.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a telling indicator of how you think about commitment. Will the finale inspire feelings of uneasiness and dread, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your partner and utter, “We could get through that together”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an test you can embark on today.
Together is available to watch on the streaming service Hulu at present.
