Movie Review: 'Companion' Spoiler Free Review

Companion

Directed by Drew Hancock

Written by Drew Hancock

Starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid

Release Date January 31st, 2025

Published February 2nd, 2025

Companion stars Sophie Thatcher as Iris, the girlfriend of Josh, played by Jack Quaid. The two met while grocery shopping when goofy Josh attempted to flirt with Iris only to dump oranges all over the grocery store. Classic meet-cute stuff. Iris found Josh’s awkwardness sweet and his dorky smile adorable. They’ve been together ever since. If this meet-cute sounds all too perfect, you’re right, it is.

This memory is related to us by Iris as she remembers it from a dream she was having. She and Josh are in the car driving to a weekend getaway with some of Josh’s friends and Iris dozed off. So the dream explains the gauzy, too perfect, quality of the meet-cute right? Nope, not really. There is still something a little off. It’s in the manner that Josh addresses Iris, his language is a little overbearing. He seems to be giving her orders rather than empathetically relating to the anxiety she feels about being around his friends. He's not rude or mean, per se, just specific and a little insensitive.

Iris's anxiety, by the way, is justified. Josh’s friend, Kat (Megan Suri) does not hide her contempt for Iris and appears to know something about Iris and Josh’s relationship that Iris does not. Josh’s other two friends, Eli (Harvey Guillen) and Patrick (Lucas Gage), are nicer but in a slightly condescending and dismissive fashion. They don’t demonstrate open contempt as Kat does, but they really don’t pay her much attention at all. In fairness, they appear wrapped in the early, lovey-dovey phase of a new relationship, and that may explain why they don’t take an interest in anyone else.

The final party-goer for the weekend is Sergey (Rupert Friend), a Russian billionaire, Kat’s married boyfriend, and the host of the gathering, owner of a fabulous home hidden from the world, deep in a forest, next to a beautiful lake. Sergey is a letch and when he makes advances on Iris when the two are alone by the lake, the plot kicks in with a violent, unexpected murder that will spin the rest of Companion in chaotic directions.

If you’re lucky enough to have not seen the trailer for Companion then the secret at the heart of the movie is unknown to you. Count yourself lucky, I, sadly, did see the trailer for Companion and thus I didn’t get the jaw dropping reveal that you might get from the film. Similarly, a poster for Companion has also given away the secret at the heart of the movie, so avoid just any of the marketing of Companion beyond the above poster. I really wish that I could have seen Companion unspoiled but life isn’t always fair.

All of that said, knowing the big secret at the heart of Companion didn’t entirely ruin Companion for me. Director Drew Hancock has more than one trick up his sleeve and I was still plenty entertained by Companion. Hancock’s clever screenplay lays out like a map building to the destination, the X that marks the spot, where the plot is fully revealed and I can still appreciate how skillfully and humorously Hancock weaves these clues seamlessly into the film.

Hancock has stated in interviews that the realities of the movie marketplace meant that the trailer and other marketing had to tell people the kind of movie they were seeing in order for the film to have a viable draw in its chosen genre. This is a horror movie, not a romantic comedy and to get the horror audience through the door with tickets in hand, they needed to know it was a horror movie. I get that, and I respect it. That said, if the movie were any less well put together, this would be a negative review.

Thankfully, Companion is smart, funny, bloody, and witty. Sophie Thatcher holds the center of the film perfectly as Iris in a complicated performance where she can’t let on too much too early. Much like she did in the brilliant, Heretic, last year, Thatcher measures her performance brilliantly adding layers in manner and dialogue that fit the character perfectly. In a secret weapon performance, Megan Suri lays the groundwork for Thatcher’s nervy performance in a brilliant pair of scenes, Iris and Josh’s awkward arrival scene and a follow up scene where Iris and Kat are alone for the first time and Kat can barely contain her loathing for Iris. Is she jealous over Josh? You will need to see for yourself.

Yeah, I am not going to spoil it. If you’ve somehow managed to not have Companion spoiled for you, this review is for you. The film has edgy themes centering on sex, identity, and the modern male-female dynamic, and all I will say about them outside of the next episode of the I Hate Critics Movie Review Podcast, is that the themes are uniquely presented and leave you with a lot to think about once the movie reaches its quite satisfying conclusion. If you want the spoiler review, subscribe to the I Hate Critics Movie Review Podcast where myself and my co-host Jeff will be talking about all of the movie, in detail.

Regardless of whether you have seen the trailer for Companion or not, the film is really great. I highly recommend it. I do wish I'd seen it unspoiled, but it's so good that I really don't mind much. Companion is darkly funny with a sharp wit that catches you off guard. The soundtrack is superb and contains some delicious Easter eggs, and Drew Hancock is a filmmaker to keep an eye on. Companion is his first feature directing gig and he's absolutely crushed it. Companion is distinct in storytelling and exceptional in production and acting. It's rare for a first time feature director to be this confident and self assured. It's a great sign for Hancock's future.

Find my archive of more than 24 years and more than 2000 movie reviews at SeanattheMovies.blogspot.com. Find my modern review archive on my Vocal Profile, linked here. Follow me on Twitter at PodcastSean. Follow the archive blog on Twitter at SeanattheMovies. Also join me on my new favorite social media sit, BlueSky. Listen to me talk about movies on the I Hate Critics Movie Review Podcast. If you have enjoyed what you have read, consider subscribing to my writing on Vocal. If you’d like to support my writing, you can do so by making a monthly pledge or by leaving a one time tip. Thanks!