‘Companion’ – Review
2025 is rolling forward fast, and one of the most exciting releases is far and away, Drew Hancock’s Companion, a slick, saucy and splatter-filled stablest of sci-fi/horror with plenty of bite, and it’s one of the wildest watches you’ll see all year!
A weekend getaway turns bloody and violent when a subservient android (Sophie Thatcher) that’s built for human companionship goes haywire.
Since its initial cryptic teaser, a serious buzz has been building for Drew Hancock’s Companion. This completely unconventional, left-field sci-fi horror work tackles ideas of both artificial intelligence and relationships and their complex and sometimes transactional nature. From beginning to end, your heart rate will be elevated and you will be palpitating at pace! While the basic premise of a dream holiday turned bloodbath when subservient ‘companion’ android Iris (Sophie Thatcher) suddenly goes rogue on her owner Josh (Jack Quaid), and his friends draws you in, that’s only the beginning of the gnarly watch that is Companion. And it only gets wilder from there. Hancock’s narrative direction for Companion is smart and savvy, and just when you think you’ve figured out this story, he throws another curveball right at you, smashing all expectations! Not to mention that moment by moment, he revs up the intensity, and things get interesting very quickly with this one.
Rising star Sophie Thatcher is establishing herself as a significant presence in Hollywood and is emerging as a prominent Scream Queen. She truly shines as Iris, a ‘companion’ robot to her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid). Iris becomes a pawn in a chaotic conspiracy scheme, and from start to finish, the story escalates into madness. Thatcher skillfully takes us along for the ride with her performance and delivers an incredibly layered portrayal of Iris. In less capable hands, this character could easily come off as one-dimensional. However, Thatcher infuses Iris with remarkable depth and sincerity, thanks to her outstanding performance. Jack Quaid’s performance as Josh complements Thatcher’s portrayal. While playing the part of the devoted boyfriend, it soon becomes apparent that Josh has his own motivations at hand, and Quaid delivers a performance that goes from A to Z, and audiences will be left wide-eyed in amazement at what he does with the character.
Companion is a film filled with multiple twists and turns, and its fresh approach to the analysis of A.I. and its impact on us as humans, a topic that is fast becoming a go-to choice for filmmakers, keeps you engaged the whole way through. Just when you think you’ve got this picture figured out, another shocker is thrown your way, and it makes for an electrifying experience as an audience member. The film’s horror moments and considerable gore levels will also keep you on edge, and there are plenty of shocking moments that will cause you to jump. But it’s not just the horror moments that make audiences sit up with this picture, but the thematic understudy of the presence of an aware A.I. and their human partner’s interaction with it gives you plenty to think on as an audience member and there’s a range of deep psychological complexity present in the narrative.
Companion is a fresh spark in the horror genre, and it will certainly make audiences sit up and take notice. Narrative, character, performance, and some chilling gore all meld together for a wildly original sci-fi horror experience, and it’s one hell of a rush to witness.
Image: Warner Brothers Pictures
