‘Companion’ Is A Twisty, Smart Sci-Fi Thriller About Relationships

‘Companion’ Is A Twisty, Smart Sci-Fi Thriller About Relationships
Image: Sophie Thatcher in 'Companion.' Source: Warner Bros via TMDB

Iris and Josh seem to have the perfect relationship – almost too perfect. Though Iris has some concerns about how Josh’s friends see her, the two are excited to have a weekend away at the secluded retreat of Kat’s… much older wealthy Russian boyfriend Sergey, along with couple Eli and Patrick. 

But when Sergey comes onto Iris and she kills him in self-defence, she discovers that she’s a “companion robot” for Josh. After he says she has to be shut down, she escapes to begin a journey of self-actualisation while being hunted down by Josh and his friends. 

Companion, written and directed by Drew Hancock, takes full advantage of its premise to deliver a twisty, highly entertaining horror-thriller film for our current moment. Though it might seem like a film about AI on its face (and there is come commentary about it), Companion is a film more interested in examining gender roles and the ways that men exert control over women. 

The film signals this intent early on in the portrayal of Iris and Josh’s relationship. Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid are perfectly cast as the pair, each contributing to a subtle feeling that something’s not entirely what it seems in their relationship. 

Companion
A meet cute in a grocery store… seems too perfect, no? Source: Warner Bros via TMDB

Companion features two stellar performances

Thatcher, an actress destined for scream queen status after this and Heretic, is excellent throughout Companion. The role of Iris inherently evolves throughout the film as she transforms from a stereotypically ditzy, hopeless housewife into a bonafide heroine, which Thatcher handles with real skill. 

Thatcher’s performance also makes Iris’ story extremely compelling to follow. As a sentiment machine created for pleasure, she represents the way that male partners often dehumanise their partners, viewing them as less than human in a viciously toxic relationship. Resultingly, it’s easy to root for Iris as she casts off the chains of her programming and becomes her own person, and not just Josh’s companion.

Speaking of, Quaid is especially convincing as the extremely underwhelming Josh, who lets his misogynistic worldview out in sparing, cruel moments. Clearly written as a response to the incel techbro that’s come to prominence in the past decade, the fact is that Josh is doing perfectly fine, all things considered. He has an apartment, a self-driving car and a steady job, yet he still has this vicious misogyny underneath.

When Iris tries to escape their relationship and avoid being shut off (essentially killed), Josh predictably doesn’t respond well. He even attacks his “real” friend Kat (Megan Suri) at a later point in the film, generalising all women and revealing his not-so-latent misogyny. Like many men, Josh lets hate fill his heart, deluding himself into thinking he’s hard done and entitled to the affection of women without ever reflecting on his own actions or worldview.

Companion
Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid in Companion. Not exactly a romantic scene here… Source: Warner Bros via TMDB

A highly entertaining sci-fi thriller

Despite the hefty themes that Companion deals with, it’s worth mentioning that it’s also a really fun horror film. Hancock fully grabs the reins of his script and explores how a hyper-realistic sex robot may operate in the near future. When Iris gets Josh’s phone, she discovers that she can tweak her own settings, including eye colour, voice pitch and even intelligence (which Josh has offensively set to 40%). 

Seeing Iris come up with a number of smart plans to evade capture is consistently fun and engaging (I won’t spoil them, for your own entertainment), with her attempts at escape always feeling deeply believable. Companion does sag a little bit as it transitions to the climax, but not enough to feel detrimental to the overall experience of the film. 

A cut above the horror movies usually released in January, Companion is a deeply engaging and entertaining thriller with a sci-fi slant. Rife with social commentary that resonates with our current cultural moment, it’s a guaranteed fantastic night at the movies – though I must admit, it may not be a great date night movie!

★★★★

Companion is in theatres now. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *