From the creators of Barbarian and The Notebook was the perfect way to market this film and get people to come watch Companion. That tagline perfectly encapsulates everything you need to know about this film. It doesn’t sell itself short and nails it pretty spot on with how the story, characters, and overall dynamic of the movie feel. It’s Drew Hancock’s first time directing and writing a feature film, and it’s a more than impressive start to what will be a long and healthy career if this is what we can expect to see from him in the future. This is a film that’s best enjoyed by going in knowing as little as possible. This review will keep the plot of Companion vague, even for people who have watched the trailer and have had the major twist “spoilt” for them.
Companion follows Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) as they head to a remote home owned by Sergey (Rupert Friend) for the weekend to spend the time with Josh’s friends, Kat (Megan Suri), Eli (Harvey Guillén), and his boyfriend Patrick (Lukas Gage). The stay quickly turns for the worst as a murder takes place, which kicks this film into full overdrive.
The film starts off by showing us how Iris first met Josh at the supermarket during a heartfelt moment where Josh clumsily drops all the oranges trying to talk to her. A memory that Iris holds with all her heart and clearly dreams about all the time. Hancock teases at the major twist throughout the first 20 minutes of the film. For the most part, it feels like it’s being spoon-fed to the audience, which can hurt the overall experience, but Drew ensures to keep some more surprises saved for later in the movie. There’s a certain type of language that’s used in the dialogue that makes it obvious exactly what’s going on within Companion. It’s not only the language but also what we find ourselves surrounded by as we make our way to the remote house that helps set up the plot twists in place.
What keeps Companion engaging is that it knows its audience. Although it’s retreading familiar steps with films that have come out over the last couple of years, it still ends up feeling slightly refreshing. It doesn’t send any new message or even begin to break boundaries within the actual genre itself, but what Hancock focuses on is making sure that Companion is a fun and entertaining movie to watch first and foremost. When we get to meet Josh’s friends, we quickly discover there’s some animosity in the room towards Iris. This makes things tense during dinner and a scene that involves both Iris and Sergey where a situation quickly turns dicey.
Enough is learnt about Josh’s friends that help contextualise plot twists that happen later in the movie. It’s the one aspect of the film that Hancock not only handles so well with his writing but also his direction, as that emotion is felt through the screen. Jack Quaid’s performance is outstanding throughout, especially as we watch him turn down this darker path that will put the audience on edge with his behaviour.
Sophie Thatcher is the star performer of Companion, proving that she’s solidified a spot in the horror scene, taking the crown of scream queen after coming off of a film like Heretic, which approaches the horror genre from a different angle than this film. She delivers an unforgettable performance that’s energetic as Iris gets herself into situations that will leave the audience laughing or in shock. Together, both Quaid and Thatcher are an electric duo that feel like a match in heaven, although Companion would say otherwise with their characters.
While it’s from the minds of Barbarian, it’s a film that’s scary for the topics it discusses, such as love, abuse, and control. The idea that a man can only feel powerful in a relationship as long as he has power over his partner is a scary thought and one that’s extremely real. A mindset like this leads into a lot of domestic abuse cases, and the film slightly goes over this with how Josh treats Iris and what everyone perceives her as when they look at her.
A lot of this is hidden under double entendres and how the dialogue is written, but it never fully explores these themes as a whole, as that’s seemingly not where Drew Hancock wanted the focus for Companion to be. It may not be particularly scary, but the film gets extremely bloody from a certain point for reasons that will be kept hidden, but once the blood begins to pour in Companion, it doesn’t stop, making it a complete blood fest of a movie.
The great performances don’t stop at just Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher. Harvey Guillén brings his humour that you can find in What We Do In The Shadows straight into this film and pairs well with Lukas Gage, portraying a love that is unbreakable. Gage’s performance is strikingly eerie and haunting as it feels like he switches between two personalities effortlessly, making you audibly go, What the f*ck? whenever he’s on screen during the second and third acts of the film.
Companion is a film that’s well handcrafted by Drew Hancock and is a pleasurable experience for everyone to go watch when it hits cinemas in just a couple of days. It’s fun and has more twists in store than the major twist this film reveals in its first 20 minutes. Hancock perfectly understands what audience he’s trying to target with this film and handles that tone well throughout. The film can feel like it’s stretching by the time it’s ending, and its more serious themes might feel slightly overlooked in a film that clearly prides itself on its humour and the idea of just having a good time while you’re watching it.
Overall, it’s a great experience to take your friends or your loved ones to the cinema just to see how Companion plays out and what twists are awaiting you. The year has only just begun, but Companion is an astonishing start to 2025 for cinema and horror films.
Companion releases in theaters on January 31.
