Marketing a movie like Companion must be a real pain in the ass. Sure, it has a few modestly well-known actors in Jack Quaid, Sophie Thatcher, and Harvey Guillen, but none are the put-butts-in-seats type of stars. The premise is clever, too, dealing with love, romance, gender and power dynamics, with some darkly comedic action and violence with a twist that’ll stun audiences. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, but if you don’t spoil the surprise will audiences even care? Unfortunately, promos have given away some of the best stuff that Companion has to offer, and yet it doesn’t completely ruin a wonderfully twisted date night flick.
Jack (Quaid) and Iris (Thatcher) have what seems like the perfect relationship. They have a classic meet-cute in a grocery store (those darned oranges!) and it’s all magic from there. The couple’s banter is light and they have their own inside jokes. When Josh asks Iris the weather she quickly responds with Siri-like efficiency. So cute! They’re headed to a lake house weekend getaway with friends Kat (Megan Suri) who doesn’t like Iris much for reasons explained later, Eli (Guillen) and his boyfriend Patrick (Lukas Gage), and Kat’s wealthy Russian boyfriend Sergey (Rupert Friend).
Something doesn’t feel quite right. Sure, they’re all having a good time, dancing and drinking and what not. But Josh and Kat are being kinda shady. When Sergey starts getting too frisky with Iris, she defends herself with lethal efficiency. While the blood is still wet at the crime scene, we learn right along with Iris that she’s something other than what she appears to be. She’s a robot.
It’s unfortunate that part had to be spoiled, but it’s already out there anyway. A shame because Josh and Iris’ relationship looks fairly normal up to the reveal, and that’s telling in and of itself. Iris is a companion robot, meant to be the perfect woman. She can’t lie, be aggressive, and is everything Josh has programmed her to be. Even when he’s a bit of an asshole, she eats it right up.
But we see that Josh being an asshole is more the default for him, which might explain why he needed a sex robot in the first place. What Companion does extremely well is present this technology in a way that feels grounded and real, like something we might actually see in the future. And you know what? The prospect of that is terrifying. I’m probably more in the Kat camp in hating what robots like Iris represent. Relationships demand real work, an acceptance of the other person for all of their attributes and flaws. To have someone who has no actual faults and is just there to do as you say is probably what toxic tech bros would want but not someone who wants a meaningful relationship.
Writer/diretor Drew Hancock skillfully navigates gender roles and power dynamics, as well, while also exploring how technology such as this would get exploited. That he does all of this without making the messaging too obvious and heavy-handed is a plus. Companion shares some thematic and plot similarities with M3GAN, especially when it comes to the mix of bloodshed and comedy. Even as a robot, Iris is constantly underestimated for being female, something she becomes attuned to as she grows in self-awareness. None of the kills are particularly gruesome, but the body count is higher than expected and shot well by Hellraiser DP Eli Born.
It’s back-to-back textured, complex performances by Thatcher, following her recent role in Heretic. As Iris, she’s asked to take on a lot of conflicting emotions while experiencing the wonder of new discovery. Iris loves Josh, she was programmed to love him, but she’s also beginning to realize that love hurts…a lot. “It feels like pain”, she says, discovering that her emerging sentience has emotional consequences she’s not yet ready for.
Quaid has done a good job of veering as far away as possible from the nice guy role he plays on The Boys by taking on characters with a darker edge. He’s an actor who is so charming and likeable that when he plays heel, it hits pretty hard, just like his performance in Scream. I was also impressed by Gage and the Terminator vibes he gives off as Patrick. It’s another solid horror role for Gage following Smile 2.
It does feel like Hancock is holding something back. Companion isn’t nearly as crazy as it could be given the plot, and it’s possible that’s being held for a potential sequel. The best advice I can give going into Companion is to steer clear of trailers if you can. I’ve tried to maintain some of the mystery here, but this is definitely a movie that is better the less you know going in. If that’s not possible, go see it anyway. With its mix of romance, humor, and violence from a talented ensemble, there’s nothing robotic about fun you’ll have!
Companion is open in theaters now!
