We present a test for those in enduring partnerships who appreciate scary movies: Settle in with your loved one and view Together. The 2025 indie hit just made its online premiere via Hulu. Outwardly, it could look like typical biological terror, but within Together lies a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love our partners.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together marks the debut feature-length film for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It stars actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a couple named Tim and Millie, partners that have stayed together for over ten years. Having wed in real life in 2017, the two stars infuse a unique chemistry to their roles, expertly portraying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative commences when Tim and Millie relocate from the big city to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar plot device, of course, but that’s mostly where the tropes conclude. Together transforms into as much a psychological exploration of the pair’s relationship as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
An Otherworldly Trigger
While walking near their rural residence, a storm hits, and the protagonists tumble into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and finally finding a way out, a strange force begins influencing the duo. This force induces a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The complete narrative is a slow burn fright fest, interspersing moments of hallucinatory nightmares, gross (but never too gross) physical transformations, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes amidst something disturbing). The director skillfully blends these components neatly and presents them in a gradually swelling aura of dread.
Layered Performances
A large part of Together is exclusively the two lead actors, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and feeling of intimacy is deteriorating due to a distance. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his hesitance to pursue anything but his floundering music career slowly bubbles to the surface.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and separated by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve moved to the country and far away from his network of friends. He dreads the idea of totally forfeiting his individual identity in his partner. This fear is further exacerbated by the reality he lacks a driver's license and is dependent on Millie for mobility.
The film's most intelligent aspect is that he avoids making one partner or the other the definite antagonist.
Tim and Millie confront the sort of issues that come with most partnerships after ten years. At their core, they have affection for one another. They find humor with each other, offer support, and open up at times. But under the surface, there’s an inescapable undercurrent of doubt about their bond.
Thematic Depth
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these anxieties of excessive reliance and totally devoting oneself to a partner, the metaphor avoids being overly obvious or pretentious. Instead, these more disturbing, unsettling scenes present a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights work together symbiotically.
A Controversial Conclusion
Together’s final act, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about unhealthy partnerships. Reports indicate that single viewers have seen the movie as a powerful case for remaining unattached. Conversely, certain partners 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 potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you identify in either protagonist and yell at the screen, or simply look at your significant other and say, “I’d do that for you”?
Regardless of the outcome, Together is an experiment you can experience today.
Together is currently playing on the streaming service Hulu now.
