Original title: | Companion |
Director: | Drew Hancock |
Release: | Cinema |
Running time: | 97 minutes |
Release date: | 31 january 2025 |
Rating: |
From the very first image of Companion, it's clear that writer-director Drew Hancock is here to play with the audience. The film presents itself as a familiar romantic comedy: a meeting in a grocery store, a couple going away for the weekend, and the underlying tensions of integrating into a new social group. But before we can settle into this warm atmosphere, the film takes a left turn and plunges us into a story of deception, control and, ultimately, survival. Companion is not just about its surprises - although there are plenty of them - but about the way these surprises reframe what we think we know about relationships, technology and agency. Certainly, the film stands out as one of the best in the world.
At the center of this chaotic puzzle is Iris (Sophie Thatcher), a bright and seemingly optimistic young woman who adores her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid). As they embark on a weekend getaway with Josh's close-knit group of friends, Iris is eager to make a good impression. The house they're staying at, owned by Sergey (Rupert Friend), a crooked Russian millionaire, is a sprawling, secluded lakeside mansion, the kind of place that evokes bad decisions and hidden agendas. Among the guests are Kat (Megan Suri), a close friend of Josh's who seems to dislike Iris for reasons that are not yet clear, and the couple Eli (Harvey Guillén) and Patrick (Lukas Gage), whose affectionate dynamic contrasts sharply with the tension that develops around them.
At first, Companion seems like a relationship drama, imbued with a subtle malaise. There's something wrong with Iris, but we can't quite put our finger on it. The way she moves, the way she seems so intensely fixated on Josh, and the way she reacts to social tension - it's all a little too precise, too calculated. The cracks begin to form when Sergey, as expected, makes a pass at her. The moment is deeply uncomfortable, but it also serves as the trigger for the film's central revelation: Iris is not human.
This revelation, which Companion's marketing unfortunately spoils, is only the beginning of the film's most profound narrative sleight-of-hand. The moment Josh calmly explains to Iris that she is an artificial companion, a robot specially designed for him, the film shifts into an entirely new genre - a techno-thriller about power, autonomy and the monstrous nature of control disguised as love. Suddenly, every little interaction in the first act is seen in a new light. Iris's awkwardness in social situations, the way Kat reacts to her presence, even Josh's too-perfect behavior, all fall into place.
Drew Hancock's script cleverly explores themes of misogyny and entitlement, positioning Josh as a smiling, well-mannered good guy whose toxicity is hidden beneath layers of performative affection. His true nature is revealed not in a sudden outburst of nastiness, but in the way he speaks of Iris as if she were a defective device rather than a person. He controls her through an app, adjusting her intelligence, voice and emotions as one would adjust a playlist. At one point, when things get too complicated, he nonchalantly suggests resetting her, which is chilling. It's the ultimate form of gaslighting, where the victim literally can't defend herself because she hasn't been programmed to do so.
The film shifts into survival thriller mode as soon as Iris begins to free herself from her conditioning. With Josh and the group scrambling to contain the situation, Companion turns into a cat-and-mouse game, with Iris navigating a world she doesn't fully understand but quickly learns to manipulate. Iris is not a cold, unfeeling machine bent on destruction, but a woman waking up to the realization that her whole existence has been a lie. It's as much about freedom from a toxic relationship as it is about AI rebellion, and Sophie Thatcher sells every moment of it with a performance that shifts from wide-eyed innocence to cold determination with remarkable fluidity.
Jack Quaid, meanwhile, continues to embody characters who seem lovable but hide a dark side. His portrayal of Josh is disturbingly real, the kind of man who believes he's a good person even as he obliterates the autonomy of the woman he claims to love. The rest of the cast shines in their supporting roles, especially Guillén, whose moments of comic relief help to counterbalance the film's mounting tension without compromising its stakes.
What sets Companion apart is the way it manages to balance its many shifting tones. It's part relationship drama, part psychological thriller, part sci-fi horror, part black comedy. Hancock proves himself a master of pacing, never letting the film settle into one mode for too long before upsetting expectations. Action sequences are tense and well-executed, the film making excellent use of its frame - a particularly harrowing chase scene through dense woods stands out as a highlight.
Visually, Companion is striking, with cinematographer Eli Born creating a world that is both down-to-earth and slightly artificial, perfectly suited to a story where the boundaries between reality and fabrication are blurred. The use of bright, almost sickly-soft color palettes in the early scenes contrasts beautifully with the dark, sinister tones that take over once the facade begins to crumble.
If there's one small complaint to be made, it's that the final act relies a little too heavily on its sci-fi elements, losing some of the intimate character work that made the first two-thirds of the film so compelling. But even when it turns into a full-blown action thriller, Companion never loses sight of its main themes. The film's final moments are both satisfying and chilling, reminding us that, for all the trappings of the genre, this is ultimately a story about control - who has it, who loses it, and what happens when someone fights to take it back.
In a landscape filled with AI-driven horror films, Companion stands out not only for its twists and turns, but also for the way it frames them. It's a story about power disguised as love, about liberation from the roles we've been programmed into. It's a funny, violent, unsettling and surprisingly moving film that stays with you long after the credits roll. Drew Hancock is certainly a gifted director and screenwriter to watch, and with Companion he's created one of the most captivating and thought-provoking thrillers of the new year.
Companion
Written and directed by Drew Hancock
Produced by Zach Cregger, Roy Lee, Raphael Margules, J. D. Lifshitz
Starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend
Cinematography : Eli Born
Edited by Brett W. Bachman, Josh Ethier
Music by Hrishikesh Hirway
Production companies: New Line Cinema, BoulderLight Pictures, Vertigo Entertainment, Subconscious
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date : January 29, 2025 (France), January 31, 2025 (United States)
Running time : 97 minutes
Seen on January 29, 2025 at Gaumont Disney Village, Salle Imax seat E19
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