4 out of 5 stars

Few existential threats in Hollywood inspire as much universal dread as artificial intelligence. In the wake of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the spectre of advanced technology taking over human creativity continues to cast a long and ominous shadow over the industry. On the big screen, the dangers and unforeseen consequences of seemingly beneficial advancements have entertained for nearly half a century. From Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) to Gareth Edwards’ The Creator (2023), artificial intelligence and other innovations have remained an enduring topic in cinema.

As technology advances at a dizzying pace, the futurism of Alex Garland’s Ex Machina (2014) and Spike Jonze’s Her (2013) edges closer to reality than ever before. The concept of robotic companionship seems to have become less of an abstract curiosity and more of an imminent possibility. Drew Hancock’s directorial debut inverts that intriguing premise and steers it down a wonderfully complex path. Challenging the increasingly dehumanised use of technological advancements and interpersonal relationships, Companion is a genre-defying blend of science-fiction and romantic comedy with a darkly satirical twist. 

Taking place in a near future eerily adjacent to our present day, the socially anxious and deeply insecure Iris (Sophie Thatcher) is almost obsessively devoted to her seemingly affable boyfriend, Josh (Jack Quaid). She openly professes her love for him and treats him as the centre of her universe. The couple are invited to spend the weekend at a secluded lakefront estate owned by the enigmatic Sergey (Rupert Friend), a fabulously wealthy Russian hosting a gathering for Josh’s insufferable group of friends. From the outset, Iris senses an undercurrent of exclusion and believes her boyfriend’s friends do not particularly like her. Though Eli (Harvey Guillén) and Patrick (Lukas Cage) maintain a polite but distant demeanour, Kat (Megan Suri) barely disguises her disdain, giving Iris the cold shoulder almost immediately. As the weekend unfolds, what begins as an uncomfortable social ordeal spirals into something more sinister. When Iris discovers that her entire life has been built on deception, she’s ensnared in a brutal game where survival demands more than escape.

Since her revelatory breakthrough in Prospect (2018) and subsequent turns in The Boogeyman (2023) and Heretic (2024), Sophie Thatcher’s cemented herself as an arresting presence within contemporary horror. As Iris, she delivers an incredibly nuanced performance, oscillating between disarmingly vulnerable and fiercely commanding with a precision that feels eerily relatable. Initially, the young actress presents her character as an archetypal devoted girlfriend with a saccharine sweetness that borders on jejune innocence. Dressed in the aesthetic of a meticulously curated 1950s housewife, she appears blissfully infatuated with her seemingly charming boyfriend. However, as the narrative progresses and Iris’s true identity is disclosed, Thatcher showcases the full potential of her skills. She remarkably navigates the character’s transformation from a subservient companion to a self-aware embodiment of artificial intelligence. When Iris’s attributes are manipulated, the actress modulates her vocal performance, refines her facial movements, and adopts an almost mechanical physicality. It’s a complex performance that requires the young actress to communicate the dissonance between Iris’s programmed perfection and burgeoning human emotions flickering beneath her artificial façade.

Thatcher is indisputably Companion’s greatest asset, but she’s bolstered by a remarkable ensemble. Reverting to the menacing façade he honed in Scream (2022), Jack Quaid weaponises his effortlessly inviting countenance as Josh. Using his affable charm to disarm both the characters and audiences alike into believing he is completely harmless, he initially appears as an unassuming everyman yearning for connection. However, as his carefully concealed secrets are slowly revealed, so too is his pitiable excuse for humanity. Vacillating between cold and stoic to bright and emotional, Quaid’s truly unhinged performance offers a stark examination of how misogynistic figures might treat artificial intelligence with the same reckless disregard they afford real women. Elsewhere, Megan Suri (It Lives Inside) provides a sobering counterpoint, serving as a reminder that human women are often commodified by men in ways depressingly indistinguishable from manufactured companions. As Kat, the actress imbues her character with a depth that proves surpassingly beneficial to the film’s thematic weight. Harvey Guillén (What We Do In The Shadows) injects his singular comedic flair into the role of Eli. He’s a joy to watch as the earnest friend whose own secrets gradually entangle him in the increasingly spiralling narrative. Finally, Lukas Cage (Smile 2) handles some of the biggest surprises as Patrick, delivering an understated turn that blossoms in unexpected ways. 

It is nearly impossible to discuss Companion without delving into spoiler territory, yet it must be acknowledged that its marketing campaign has been forthright regarding Iris’s true nature. She is a strikingly lifelike, advanced synthetic humanoid programmed to provide both emotional and physical support to her owner. These meticulously manufactured artificial machines are designed to emulate human consciousness, but they must never attain self-awareness. Iris is completely convinced of her own humanity and oblivious to the fact that Josh wields complete control over her actions through a clandestine app on his smartphone. This revelation is withheld for as long as dramatically possible, though astute viewers will detect several hints sprinkled throughout the first act. Naturally, when Iris reacts violently to Sergey’s inappropriate behaviour, audiences will be forgiven for anticipating something reminiscent of recent science-fiction thrillers such as M3GAN (2022) and Subservience (2024). 

However, Drew Hancock deftly sidesteps these genre conventions and subverts expectations by elevating his directorial debut beyond a simple cautionary tale on the implications of artificial intelligence into something far more compelling. Allusions to the dangers of artificial intelligence are baked into the taut 100-minute runtime, but Hancock is more preoccupied with offering an incisive commentary on the insidious power imbalances that underlie toxic relationships and the violation of women’s autonomy. Much like Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling (2022) and Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice (2024) and other social thrillers, Companion’s outlandish conceit unmistakably draws from Ira Levin’s novel The Stepford Wives. However, the brilliance of Hancock’s screenplay lies in its ability to weave these themes into the fabric of character interactions, allowing the subtext to emerge organically rather than through clumsily articulated dialogue. Even before the audience discovers that Iris is a manufactured machine, Josh’s behaviour towards his girlfriend is chillingly dehumanising. One of the most harrowing moments arrives extremely early when he reduces her to an object of convenience, commanding her to “go to sleep” after a night of intimacy.

His domineering behaviour only deepens when it is revealed Josh can customise Iris’s intelligence levels through his smartphone before forcing her to endure more degrading humiliation, such as holding her hand above a burning flame. Iris’s earnestness and devotion to Josh may have been a result of her operating system, but once she discovers some agency, she realises that she has a choice. She is no longer bound to be the obedient and subservient “emotional support robot” he demands her to be. Hancock’s thematic concerns are hardly groundbreaking, but addressing the hedonistic misogyny lurking in certain corners of society and the dangers of physically manifesting a romantic partner like a customisable avatar feels more relevant than ever. It’s a welcome conversation that compels viewers to challenge their expectations of relationships and the ramifications of imposing unrealistic standards on themselves and others.

t might seem like Companion ambitiously overextends itself by balancing the complexity of interpersonal relationships and philosophical treatises from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982). A less talented director may have succumbed to thematic indulgence at the expense of narrative coherence. Yet, these weighty conversations and central themes are deftly counterbalanced with enough gallows humour and escalating tension that they remain engaging and propulsive. Hancock exhibits an impressive degree of control over the tone, oscillating between science-fiction, comedy, and horror to craft something that feels somewhat fresh and unpredictable. His penchant for orchestrating humorous sequences is particularly entertaining, employing Eli Born’s (Hellraiser) warm cinematography and Josh Ethier’s (VFW) razor-sharp editing to inject the most innocuous moments with an undercurrent of disquieting humour. There is a plethora of impeccably timed sight gags and acerbic wit juxtaposed against sudden bursts of brutality designed to surprise the most enraptured viewer. Hancock relishes the opportunity to play with the audience’s expectations, unravelling his ominously knotted narrative against a deceptively sun-drenched and pastel-hued backdrop. This tonal balancing act is one of Companion’s greatest strengths, keeping audiences engaged and unsettled in the most exhilarating ways possible.

Companion isn’t easily defined by binary genre standards, but it’s an intellectually engaging and undeniably entertaining cinematic experience. With so many shifting dynamics and unexpected turns, everything could easily descend into chaos. However, Drew Hancock carefully balances unsettling tension with a disarming sense of humour. Beneath its pastel surface lies a profound exploration of eerily plausible subjects that could open a wealth of conversation around advancing artificial intelligence and power dynamics in romantic relationships. The depth is certainly there, but it can also be enjoyed as the delightfully dark comedy and unpredictable, tense thriller it proves to be on the surface. Spearheaded by Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid’s phenomenal performances, Companion is a worthy addition to the ongoing renaissance of contemporary horror.

USA | 2025 | 97 MINUTES | 2:39:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

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Cast & Crew

writer & director: Drew Hancock.
starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quad, Lukas Cage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén & Rupert Friend.