Review: ‘Companion'
Opinions are the author's alone and not endorsed by 2 NEWS and/or Nexstar Media Group.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A well-made debut, 'Companion,' shows flashes of greatness despite a few stumbles.
A group of friends look to indulge in a weekend getaway, but then things go horribly wrong.
Sophie Thatcher stars as Iris — an on the nose anagram of a famous digital assistant — who discovers that she is a companion robot.
Early on we see that Iris is uneasy about the trip. Something's off, yet she's tries her best to adjust to the circumstances. When that is no longer possible, it spurs on a game of cat and mouse between her and Josh — played by Jack Quaid.
Thatcher and Quaid each excel in their performances. The one-upmanship between the two is engaging to watch. That said, the movie takes a few detours that make the overall experience less smooth.
Without spoiling the movie, it's revealed that companion robots are a lot more common than they first appear.
Review: 'Captain America: Brave New World'
This choice sort of takes the focus away from the main conflict and at the same time isn't given the same weight. It feels forced and seems to serve as a way to extend the movie's runtime. It also stretches the scope of the film too far.
The slight pivot of the plot begs a closer focus on the supporting cast. The problem with that though is that they aren't very interesting.
Megan Suri isn't given anything more to do than react to everything happening (either by taking drugs or complaining). Lukas Gage and Harvey Guillén are given more to work with, but again it feels less important and more like an add-on to lengthen the movie.
'Companion' should be commended for the thrills it serves to audiences given its relatively low budget ($10 million according to a report by Deadline).
It's a half science fiction, half dark comedy, sliver of romance film. It has an intriguing premise, sharing similarities to 'Promising Young Woman' and 'Ex Machina'. Overall, Drew Hancock's genre-bending debut is an intriguing one.
Rating: R – for strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout.
Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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