Sci-fi has been exploring technology and how men use and abuse each new advancement forever. This makes sense, seeing as AI is practically shoved at us whenever we open a smart device. Its usage was also one of the sticking points in the 2023 Writers Guild Of America and SAG-AFTRA labor disputes. However, androids, specifically, are having a renaissance with films like M3GAN, T.I.M., and The Creator. So, it makes sense that Drew Hancock’s Companion would be a timely watch for a few reasons this Valentine’s season. While the movie seems like another standard sci-fi thriller about a killer robot on the surface, it actually raises some interesting points and has a bit of chaotic fun while doing it.
Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) join his friends for a weekend getaway at a remote cabin. The couple seems happy, but something is clearly amiss. We soon discover Josh’s friend Kat (Megan Suri) does not like Iris, and Kat’s boyfriend Sergey (Rupert Friend) gives her unwanted attention. We watch Iris as she goes out of her way to be the perfect girlfriend to Josh, despite all the weird vibes. However, when Sergey tries to sexually assault Iris, she fights back in self-defense and kills him. When she returns to the cabin to explain, Josh puts her to sleep, and she awakens to learn that she is an Android.
This is when Companion starts to dig into the questions it is posing. The group of friends discuss the safeguards that should prevent her from killing humans instead of how Sergey was a rapist. Much like Andy (David Jonsson) in Alien: Romulus, the people surrounding empathetic Android deny their humanity and treat them as property. Allowing them to not care about what happens to the robot or any trauma they inflict on them. This is where Companion forces the audience to side with the AI even before we get to the second reveal.
After tying Iris to a chair, Josh wakes her up, and she discovers her memories of their relationship are part of her programming. Her boyfriend ordered a sex robot and customized her to be his ideal woman. As Iris reels from this information, the audience discovers that Josh is the standard issue “nice guy.” He has decided that he is done with Iris, so he jailbroke her system to help him and Kat kill Sergey and get away with the murder. Obviously, Iris escapes and steals Josh’s phone, allowing her to give herself a higher IQ and change some other settings. This is when Companion really begins putting the pedal to the metal.
Hancock’s script gives Thatcher a pretty awesome playground to remind people why we love to see her in the genre. As Iris quickly learns to be independent and realizes that anger is a powerful motivator, this game of cat and mouse ramps up. We go from pitying this naive robot to watching her become a woman on a mission. Thatcher never misses a beat and makes the most of each comedic and violent turn. This makes it difficult to remember when machines have autonomy, it usually ends badly. However, it is impossible to not root for her in her newfound independence as she fights for survival. We have a bold entry in the feminine rage category this year while still in this neverending January.
Outside of Thatcher, the small ensemble has fun with this dark comedic thriller. Harvey Guillén as Eli and Lukas Gage as Patrick are a couple of scene thieves who also play a couple whose weekend has been turned upside down due to this plot. Suri kills in the role of Kat, a character we love to hate, who is also one of the funniest people in most of her scenes. Quaid adds Josh as another character on his resume, who we all want to fight. Unlike his previous iterations of the supposedly perfect boyfriend who spends too much time on 4chan to not be a problem, he gets a bit more time to live in Josh. We watch this character escalate things further every chance he gets, and we watch him decide to completely lean into his villain era. I sincerely believe Quaid has finally peaked in the arena of bad boyfriends and may never be able to top this one.
Companion is a fun take on a subgenre that is starting to feel a bit stale. There are thrills, lovable but morally grey characters, and a kill that is guaranteed to make social media very happy. If you enjoyed Lars and the Real Girl but felt it was too pure and sincere, this deadly thriller might have the droids you’re looking for.
