Movie Review – Companion

Principal Cast : Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillen, Rupert Friend, Jaboukie Young-White, Matthew J McCarthy, Marc Menchaca.
Synopsis: A weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin turns into chaos after it’s revealed that one of the guests is not what they seem.

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This review discusses key plot spoilers for Companion. 

Drew Hancock’s surprise package jet-black thriller Companion is best experienced knowing as little as possible beforehand. That I’m about to outline the basic plot inherently diminishes the joy of uncovering its twists and turns for yourself. Hancock’s screenplay is slick, witty, and devastating—a remarkable entry in the Black Mirror-adjacent subgenre of high-concept sci-fi thrillers. A deft mix of futurism, trust, power dynamics, and artificial intelligence, Companion is as shocking as it is captivating. Its dark thematic elements are balanced by engrossing performances and Hancock’s refined, precise directorial style, making for an unexpectedly powerful cinematic experience.

Spoilery plot synopsis courtesy of Wikipedia: Sophie Thatcher stars as Iris, who, along with her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid), joins friends Patrick (Lukas Gage), Kat (Megan Suri), Eli (Harvey Guillén), and Sergey (Rupert Friend) for a weekend at Sergey’s secluded lakefront estate. The gathering takes a dark turn when Iris discovers she is an advanced AI companion robot, custom-programmed by Josh to fulfil his desires. After she brutally kills one of the guests, the group’s dynamics begin to unravel, forcing Iris to confront her own identity and autonomy, all leading to a tense exploration of control, technology, and self-determination.

It’s exceptionally rare to find a film that functions equally well as a technological horror and a pitch-black comedy, but Companion achieves that feat with style. Hancock, a longtime television writer/director making his feature debut, crafts a film filled with shocks, tension, and razor-sharp social commentary. His take on artificial intelligence and self-determination—long-time genre staples, to be sure—feels fresh and engaging, delivered with a succinctness that never overstays its welcome. The film is reminiscent of Get Out and The Sixth Sense in its focused vision and meticulous storytelling, a testament to Hancock’s passion and control over the material. Given the current discourse surrounding AI, Companion lands with striking relevance, cutting through the noise with unsettling precision.

Sophie Thatcher anchors the film with an outstanding performance as Iris. Initially presenting as meek and insecure, her character takes a sharp turn upon the Great Revelation that she is, in fact, an AI designed to simulate a love connection with Jack Quaid’s bohemian Josh. Thatcher brings vulnerability and uncanny humanity to Iris, making the audience sympathise with her despite her synthetic nature. Quaid, best known for his role in Amazon’s The Boys, brings a layered performance, playing Josh as a self-righteous idealist whose personal ambitions mask a deep-seated control complex. Megan Suri’s acerbic Kat, the most intellectually perceptive of the group, delivers some of the film’s best moments. Her brutal deconstruction of Iris—sarcastically dismissing her as a “fuck bot”—sets up Companion’s most cutting thematic threads. Lukas Gage and Harvey Guillén, playing a couple whose relationship dynamic adds surprising depth, deliver strong supporting performances, with Guillén providing much of the film’s comic relief. Meanwhile, Rupert Friend, in a brief but impactful role, plays Sergey, a mysterious figure whose presence keeps the group on edge—an ambiguity that adds further tension.

Companion is the kind of film Alfred Hitchcock would have relished directing. A Rope-meets-Rear Window-meets-Psycho hybrid, it brims with tightly wound suspense and masterfully executed tension. Hancock’s direction is laser-focused, ensuring that every reveal lands with maximum impact. To avoid ruining the experience, I’ll refrain from dissecting the film’s deeper layers, but suffice it to say that Iris’ identity crisis is merely the tip of the iceberg. The escalating series of events had me utterly enthralled, with moments of darkly comedic brilliance that underscore just how meticulously crafted this film is. Eli Born’s cinematography deserves special mention—despite its relatively modest $10 million budget, Companion looks far more expensive, with striking visuals that heighten its eerie atmosphere. Drew Hancock has delivered an absolute hidden gem, marking himself as a filmmaker to watch. Companion is essential viewing in 2025—an intelligent, gripping, and delightfully unsettling thriller that demands attention. Seek it out and give it a go – just try not to know anything about it before you do.

Who wrote this?

Rodney Twelftree

Rodney has been writing about films for well over two decades, appreciates a good wine, the love of his wife and kids, and the affection of his dog and cats. He has a fondness of cheesy 90’s action and classic Hollywood, hates that physical media is disappearing, and wishes somebody would make a high-budget series of The Neverending Story.

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