We’ve all been there. You’re sitting on your couch, laptop balanced on your knees, trying to hit "play" at the exact same second as someone three states away. It never works. Someone’s audio is out of sync, or the Netflix buffering wheel of death ruins the climax. Honestly, it’s frustrating.
The search for where to watch Together—and by that, I mean the 2021 pandemic-era heist film starring James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan, or just the act of watching anything in sync—has changed a lot lately. Technology moved fast because it had to. We aren't just looking for a streaming link anymore. We’re looking for a way to feel like we’re in the same room when we’re actually miles apart.
Finding the Movie "Together" (2021) Right Now
If you are looking specifically for the Stephen Daldry-directed film Together, you’ve got a few solid options. This isn't one of those blockbusters that stays on every platform forever. Distribution rights for indie dramas are a bit like musical chairs.
Currently, in the United States, you can find Together streaming on Bleecker Street's partner platforms. Most often, this means it’s available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. For a while, it was circulating on Hulu, but these things cycle out every few months. If you’re in the UK, your best bet is usually the BBC iPlayer or Sky Go, given its British roots.
The movie itself is a claustrophobic look at a relationship disintegrating during lockdown. It’s ironic, really. You’re looking for where to watch Together with someone you love, while watching a movie about two people who can’t stand being together. It’s raw. McAvoy and Horgan are incredible, but don’t expect a lighthearted rom-com. It’s a heavy lift.
The Best Tools for Watching Movies Simultaneously
Maybe you didn't mean the McAvoy film. Maybe you’re just trying to figure out how to actually watch a movie together with a friend who lives across the country.
The "Gold Standard" used to be Netflix Party. Now it’s Teleparty. It’s basically a browser extension that syncs video playback and adds a group chat to the side of your screen. It supports Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and HBO Max (Max). It’s free, mostly. They have a premium tier now, which is a bit of a bummer, but the basic sync works fine.
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Then there is Teleparty’s main rival: Scener. Scener is a bit more robust because it allows for video chat while you watch. Seeing your friend’s reaction to a jump scare is way better than just seeing "OMG" in a chat box.
Why Discord is Actually the Secret Winner
Most people forget about Discord. If you have a decent PC and a solid internet connection, you can just "Go Live" in a private voice channel. You share your screen, and your friends jump in. It’s low latency. It’s free.
There is a catch, though. High-definition streaming on Discord usually requires a Nitro subscription. Also, some streaming services—Netflix is the worst offender here—will show a black screen if you try to share your browser. They use DRM (Digital Rights Management) to stop piracy. You can usually get around this by turning off "Hardware Acceleration" in your browser settings (Chrome or Edge), but it’s a bit of a techy headache. Honestly, it’s easier to just use a dedicated app.
The Reality of Big-Name Watch Parties
Let's talk about the built-in options. Disney+ had "GroupWatch." It was great. It was simple. Then, out of nowhere, they killed it in late 2023. No one is quite sure why, but the feature vanished from the app.
Amazon Prime Video still has "Watch Party." It’s built right into the browser and the app. You look for the little hat icon (or the "Watch Party" button) on the movie's detail page. The big limitation here is that everyone needs their own Prime subscription. You can't just host a party and invite a friend who doesn't pay for Prime. They’ll be locked out.
Hulu has a similar feature for its ad-free subscribers. It works, but it’s clunky. If one person has the ad-supported version and the other doesn't, the sync breaks immediately. It’s a mess.
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SharePlay: The Apple Ecosystem Savior
If you are both on iPhones, iPads, or Macs, SharePlay is genuinely the best experience you can get. It’s built into FaceTime. You start a call, open Apple TV+ or Disney+, and it asks if you want to watch together.
The sync is perfect. Like, scary perfect. If you pause, it pauses for them. If they skip 15 seconds, it skips for you. Because it's integrated at the system level, you don't get the lag or the weird "black screen" issues you find with Discord or screen-sharing tools. But again—it locks you into the Apple ecosystem. If your friend has an Android, you’re out of luck.
Why Browsers Matter More Than You Think
Most people try to do this on a Smart TV. Don't. Most TV apps don't support third-party watch party extensions. If you want a smooth experience, you need to be on a laptop or a desktop.
Use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Firefox is great for privacy, but many of these sync extensions are built specifically for Chromium-based browsers. If you’re trying to figure out where to watch Together and your extension isn't loading, check your browser version first.
A Word on Latency and "The Sync Gap"
Nothing kills the mood faster than hearing your friend laugh at a joke you haven't heard yet. This is "The Sync Gap."
Most browser extensions work by sending a "ping" to the other person's browser to tell it what timestamp to be at. If your internet is slow, that ping takes time to travel. Teleparty handles this by slightly slowing down or speeding up the video in the background to catch up, rather than just jumping. It’s subtle. You won't even notice the pitch of the voices changing.
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If you're using a tool that doesn't do this, you'll constantly be 1-2 seconds off. It sounds small. It feels huge.
Practical Steps to Get Your Movie Night Started
Stop overcomplicating it. If you want to watch a movie together tonight, follow this exact workflow to avoid a 45-minute troubleshooting session.
First, decide on the content. Check JustWatch or Reelgood to make sure both of you have access to the movie on the same platform. If one of you has to buy it and the other has it for free, make sure the platforms are the same (e.g., both on Amazon).
Second, pick your tool based on your hardware.
- Two Macs/iPhones? Use FaceTime and SharePlay.
- PC/Windows users? Install the Teleparty extension on Chrome.
- Gamers? Use Discord, but remember the hardware acceleration trick.
Third, do a "Sound Check." Play 30 seconds of the movie. Ask your friend what the timestamp says. If you're within half a second, you're golden. If not, refresh the page.
Don't try to use a phone for the video and a TV for the movie. It never works. Stick to one device for the whole experience. Turn off your notifications. Grab your snacks. The tech is finally good enough that we can stop worrying about the "how" and start enjoying the "what."
Get your browser extensions updated now so you aren't doing it while the popcorn gets cold. Check your subscription status on the platform you chose. If you’re going the Discord route, test your screen share with a random YouTube video first to ensure the audio is actually feeding through. Most people forget to toggle the "share audio" switch, and you end up watching a silent film while your friend narrates. Nobody wants that.