Consider this a test for partners in committed relationships who appreciate the horror genre: Get comfortable with your partner and watch Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like typical body horror, but beneath Together lies a intense meditation about our choices in loving one another.
A Directorial Debut Delving into The Nuances of Love
Together marks the introductory feature for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have remained a couple for a decade. United in marriage in actuality in 2017, the actors bring a particular energy to their characters, skillfully embodying both the strengths and weaknesses of a enduring union.
The narrative starts when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the countryside for Millie’s job. A commonly used story element, sure, but that’s largely where the conventions cease. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While trekking near their new home, a storm hits, and the protagonists discover an hole in the earth. After spending the night there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the couple. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes exceeding emotional intimacy.
The entire film is a slow burn horror experience, weaving in elements of dreamlike terrors, disturbing (but tastefully done) biological grotesqueries, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something horrific). The director weaves these elements together seamlessly and delivers them in a consistently growing atmosphere of fear.
Complex Characterizations
A great deal of Together is only the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Her self-assurance and feeling of intimacy is suffering due to a emotional and physical gap. Her underlying frustration of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his floundering music career inexorably rises.
In contrast, Tim's character senses confinement and cut off by Millie, who’s the cause they’ve left the city and far away from his support system. He is terrified of the notion of completely losing his sense of self in Millie. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he can’t drive and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The director's cleverest decision is that he refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple confront the kind of problems that come with long-term unions over a long period. At their core, they still love one another. They find humor with each other, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But beneath it all, there’s an inescapable current of uncertainty about their future together.
Allegory and Meaning
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of codependency and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory does not come across as clumsy or heavy-handed. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the interpersonal storytelling. Both the horror and the drama enhance each other symbiotically.
A Debated Finale
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, 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 powerful case for avoiding commitment. Conversely, a few pairs who were in conflict found that the film ended up guiding them to resolve their issues.
Whether you’re single or coupled up, your own response could function as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the conclusion inspire anxiety and horror, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in Tim or Millie and yell at the screen, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an exploration you can experience right now.
Together is currently playing on Hulu at present.
