Companion: Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid Deliver a Darkly Funny Thriller About Love and Autonomy

From the studio that gave us The Notebook and the producers who gave us Barbarian, Drew Hancock delivers a deliciously twisted cautionary tale—but not the one you think. Rather than crafting a film that warns humanity of the dangers in falling for humanoid robots (which, according to Twitter, should be happening at some point this year), it warns us of the dangers in falling in love with manipulative toxic narcissists. Something we’re sure all girls and gays can relate to. 

The lure of this film lies in the question it poses about humanity’s need for companionship and how it relates to our desire for control. What would you do if you could have the perfect partner? One whose physical appearance is exactly your type? One who never argues or disagrees with you? Who lives only to please you and make you happy? Who cooks for you? Cleans for you? Who takes care of you? Who knows you better than anyone ever could? One who would never hurt you? What would you pay? What would you give? And how hard would you fight to make that perfect partner forever yours? 

Companion plays best when going in completely blind. Given the subtleties Hancock includes in the dialogue, it seems he had no intention of revealing the big twist before the script deemed it necessary. Yet the trailers for Companion give a little too much away. We recommend knowing as little as possible about the film before screening it to maximize your experience, especially if you want the numerous plot twists to hit hard every time. Though the film reeks of studio interference, Companion is a lively, devious and hilarious adventure that might go down as One of the Best First Date Movies of All Time. 

Sophie Thatcher, who recently delivered an incredible performance opposite Hugh Grant in A24’s Heretic, is joined by The Boys’ Jack Quaid to lead Warner Brothers’ latest thriller. Iris and Josh, a young couple on a weekend getaway at a billionaire’s remote cabin have a relationship that seems… mostly normal. It’s clear that Iris is hopelessly devoted to Josh, an aimless immature twenty-something with a clear inability to connect with people who aren’t in his immediate circle. Though the weekend starts off on a fun note, introducing us to the flurry of fun side characters Kat (Megan Suri), Eli (Harvey Guillen), Patrick (Lukas Gage) and billionaire host Sergey (Rupert Friend), things begin to spiral once Sergey is murdered and the truth about Iris is revealed.

Minor Spoilers Ahead.

Though Companion is filled with enough twists and turns to make average moviegoers dizzy, the script is so neat that it turns out to be awfully predictable. This is without even considering that the movie spoils its own ending during Iris’ opening monologue. But the film is tightly paced and makes for an exciting ninety minutes nonetheless. Unfortunately, fans of Barbarian who are expecting the same level of absurdity will likely leave disappointed. Though there are some interesting reveals, Companion doesn’t deliver nearly as many jaw dropping moments as Zach Chregger’s horror thriller. 

Companion is most interesting when we see Josh directly interacting with Iris, a “companion robot” that he purchased online as one might purchase a phone or a coffee maker. Once the film reveals Josh and Kat’s true intentions for the weekend, it begins to lose its thematic thread somewhere in the tropes that follow. What begins as an interesting exploration on human dependency and internalized misogyny abandons both themes to explore a surface level story about robbing a billionaire. Quaid plays Josh as such an insufferable misogynist that it’s easy for audiences to root for Iris as she gains autonomy and fights for freedom. Their conversations post-reveal are quippy, fascinating and tragically hilarious.

The film has no intention of proposing anything new or original in relation to the genre it emulates. It’s a cheeky Blade Runner meets Revenge style story that plays more like a comedy than it does a horror thriller. Truly, this movie is hilarious. The cast outdo themselves in how hard and often they make audiences laugh. Guillen and Gage steal the show very often, eliciting a theater full of laughs any time they’re on screen, as well as Jaboukie Young-White’s brief appearance as Teddy. Though the ending certainly feels satisfying, it’s hard to feel excited or surprised when we were told where the story was headed from the very first line.

Watch the trailer for Companion below

Warner Bros releases Companion in theatres on January 31st, 2025

[Review by guest blogger Jurgen Sosa]