PLOT: A billionaire’s death sets off a chain of events for Iris and her friends during a weekend trip to his lakeside estate.
REVIEW: There are two different types of people I’m speaking to with this review. The first are those that either haven’t seen anything or just viewed the teaser trailer for the film. The second are those that watched the second trailer that released on January 8th and even Jack Quaid warned against watching. Now to that first set of people, Companion is a great thriller about relationships, power dynamics, and morality. Please stop reading here as you were fortunate enough to have a very clean experience with this movie. Go watch Jack Quaid, Sophie Thatcher and Lukas Gage kick some performance ass and give us one of the greatest horror films of the year.
To the second people, you’ve already had a large portion of the film spoiled for you by the film’s marketing. Sorry but that’s the cold hard truth. And given that was a major trailer, I feel that its contents are fair game. However, I also hate spoilers myself and would hate to be the reason that someone wasn’t able to go into this experience as fresh as possible. So those who don’t know, jump to this timecode for the wrap-up and rating.
Again spoilers to follow, but I’m only getting into what was shown in the trailer. All other stuff is safe.
Companion follows Josh and his girlfriend Iris as they go on a weekend trip with a bunch of friends. There, it’s revealed that Iris is actually a sex robot, and the weekend takes a decidedly darker turn when Iris does the unthinkable. The film is able to make intriguing points about our relationship with technology and how neglectful it can make us to the human experience. And also just how much shitty people would exploit this kind of tech. Despite its high concept, the filmmakers are really able to make the world feel grounded and lot of that can be attributed to its wonderful cast.
The performances in Companion are absolutely brilliant with everyone involved getting their chance to shine. Sophie Thatcher is obviously the star of the show, getting to play with so much nuance as a robot suddenly becoming self-aware. She’s in such control of her facial ticks and movement that it’s easy to be convinced she’s a robot. And I love that she gets a moment that is clearly a nod to The Terminator. Jack Quaid continues to be a charismatic lead, all while showing the character of Josh is a bit of an asshole. There are certainly some parallels with his character here and the one he played in Scream 5, though Josh seems a bit more toned down. It’s funny how the nicest guys can play the biggest jerks with ease. Megan Suri, Harvey Guillen, and Rupert Friend help to color the world and populate it with interesting people. I was most impressed with Lukas Gage who, after his incredible turn in last year’s Smile 2, is really showing a ton of range.
Writer/Director Drew Hancock provides a look at a world that could easily become a reality. I’m sure there will be some people that view this world with rose-tinted glasses but I found the concept horrifying. True relationships result in growth and two people blend their own lives in a way that requires sacrifice from both parties. And Companion shows how much making someone into your ideal mate, while ignoring all elements of their true self, results in an experience lacking in truth. And Hancock is able to weave exposition into the dialogue in a way that doesn’t feel too obvious.
Between this film, Hellraiser (2022), and The Boogeyman, I’m discovering I’m a big fan of cinematographer Eli Born. I love a shallow depth of field, smooth camera movements, and a widescreen presentation, all of which Born does beautifully. The score/sound design has this tranquil quality, really lulling you into the heightened world. There are also more than enough moments of levity, with the horror more being in the concept and events, than the tone and vibe. This is definitely one you can watch in group settings.
Honestly, the biggest slam against Companion is its marketing. Why on earth would you give away the hook in the trailer when there was already enough mystery that, that didn’t need to happen? The January release also doesn’t show much faith in the movie by the studio, which given the quality of the film, is genuinely baffling.
Ultimately, I loved my time with Companion. And given its baffling marketing, I’m genuinely not sure how the reaction will be. I loved the journey of the first act, as you’re trying to figure out what the hell is happening and it’s a shame that some people will be robbed of that. But ultimately, a film is judged based on its quality from start to finish and not how it was promoted, and I absolutely adored it. Featuring some of my favorite actors of the genre delivering utterly fantastic performances to the twists and turns, this is one I can’t wait to revisit time and time again. Here’s just hoping this future is further away than it looks.
COMPANION RELEASES EXCLUSIVELY TO THEATERS ON JANUARY 31ST, 2025.
The post Companion Review: The Best Movie That Marketing Spoiled appeared first on JoBlo.
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