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SEMI-SPOILERS}: Directed by Drew Hancock, Companion follows a weekend getaway among friends at a remote cabin that turns bloody and violent when a subservient android amongst them that’s built for human companionship goes haywire.
There has been a steady rise of original horror and thriller films in recent years that have been putting their own unique spins on various horror and thriller concepts that have been done to death, yet these new films somehow find a way to deliver something refreshing, as well as make a special mark in theaters. This film instantly got my attention with its cast and its brief but intriguing trailers that presented a familiar concept from an entirely new angle, which made me eager to give it a go on the biggest screen possible. And I’m so glad I did because I absolutely loved this film from start to end and I feel everyone needs to see it.
Companion is a darkly twisted horror/thriller that is filled with unhinged dark humor and bloody visuals yet is also deeply emotional with its story: a gripping exploration of love, abuse, and survival. It successfully manages to deliver something unique and refreshing to the genre with its extremely well-written themes on heavy subjects that are mixed together with cleverly executed horror/thriller elements that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time with clever twists and turns at every corner.
There is one major spoiler of the film that the second trailer unfortunately gave away that I will be discussing so if you wish to avoid knowing this crucial twist and go in fully blind don’t read any further in this review from this point on. Other twists and spoilers will not be included.
The main cast of this film is small but extremely effective with Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid leading the charge. Jack Quaid delivers a fantastic performance that gets better as his character, Josh, goes down a twisted path of being an emotional manipulator and abuser, but it is Sophie Thatcher who captivated me with her phenomenal performance as Iris. Iris is revealed to be an advanced companion robot who can be controlled by Josh, though she attempts to break herself free when she’s forced to commit a horrific act by him.
In most films with killer robots we are usually rooting for the humans but in this film we are absolutely rooting for the robot, not only because of how terrible of a human being Josh is to her but also because of the emotionally compelling performance Sophie Thatcher brings as Iris, making us truly feel for her from the very beginning of the film to the very end. Sophie has established herself as a certified horror final girl in my eyes with this film and I really hope she continues to get more work after this because she has been a rising star that deserves more attention.
Harvey Guillén as Eli and Lukas Gage as Patrick were two very unexpected but compelling supporting performances in this film that both added emotional weight and some comedic charm to the film that fits incredibly well with the crazy setting. I wasn’t expecting them to have as much of a major role in this film’s story based on the advertising but I’m really glad they got special times to shine, both together and individually.
Megan Suri and Rupert Friend both deliver solid performances respectively as Kat and Sergey but they don’t feel nearly on the same level as the previous four cast members.
The narrative of this film is full of clever twists and turns that surprise you and keep you engaged throughout, as well as offer a refreshingly new take on the horror and thriller genre, but I really wish the first twist of Iris being revealed as a robot wasn’t shown in the second trailer. The film’s first act does such a great job setting up the reveal for people who go into it blind but it sucks that I knew what was going to happen going in just because the marketing department couldn’t think of any clever ways to hide this secret. Thankfully most of the other surprises and payoffs this film has in store were not revealed in the trailers and I was able to still feel engaged enough in this film with its excellent writing and themes.
This is honestly the kind of film that I wish Don’t Worry Darling was like, with what it attempted to do but failed completely. It has bloody thrills but it is also full of gripping emotion due to the heavy subject matter, which is the driving force of the narrative. It also has some self-aware comedic elements that ended up landing perfectly for me for this film’s unique setting, giving it a fun tone that is similar to films like Ready or Not and Abigail.
What I love most about this film is the fact that the “horror” in this case isn’t focused on a scary monster or killer android but on the real-life horror of domestic abuse and emotional manipulation. As shown in history and even recent events, humans are just as capable of being terrifying monsters themselves in various ways, especially when driven by greed and lust, which can leave damaging and lasting impacts on others. I applaud Drew Hancock for directing and writing such a timely story that I feel is important for many people to watch and was handled with such great care.
The technical elements of this film are extremely solid, featuring excellent practical effects, practical gore, and a beautiful isolated setting that enhances all the horror and thriller elements this film has on offer. It is also visually stunning with its cinematography and certainly radiates with the Valentine’s getaway theme that this film was marketed as, which I found to be both funny and clever.
This film features a fun inclusion of certain songs here and there but it is Hrishikesh Hirway’s fantastic score that really shines in this film, enhancing the edge-of-your-seat thrills as well as the emotional moments on display in this film. Easily one of my favorite themes in the film composed by Hirway is Iris’s theme, which features vocals by Sophie Thatcher.
This film is yet another wonderful addition to the steady rise of unique horrors/thrillers over the last few years and I feel this one is going to be very impactful, not only to the horror community but to many others as well. Drew Hancock delivers one of the most impressive directing debuts I have seen in a while and I honestly look forward to whatever he comes up with next. I’m going to give Companion an A = 97.
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