‘Companion’ Review: New Robot Horror Is Thrilling But Frustratingly Surface Level
It’s not too hard to imagine a future where men opt to buy companion robots that they can control and manipulate into being their own personal sex dolls. In fact, writer and director Drew Hancock brings that vision to life in his feature film debut Companion, a twisty look at artificial intelligence that follows the companion robot rather than just the human characters, placing the audience in a machine’s shoes to empathize with her, rather than be terrified. It’s a fascinating and refreshing take on the subgenre.
Sophie Thatcher plays Iris, a young woman on her way to a weekend getaway with her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) and his friends Kat (Megan Suri) and Eli (Havery Guillén), along with Eli’s partner Patrick (Lukas Gage). They’re driving out into the woods to stay at Kat’s new boyfriend’s (Rupert Friend) cabin (read: mansion) for some rest and relaxation. When they arrive, the vibes seem off, especially between Kat and Iris—there’s a distinct coldness behind every word Kat utters in Iris’ direction. But Iris refuses to let that ruin her weekend and doubles down on being the perfect girlfriend for Josh (who notedly can barely last two minutes in bed).
Also Read: ‘The Ugly Stepsister’ Suffers Body Horror for Beauty in Twisted Fairytale Retelling [Sundance 2025 Review]
But, after Iris has a violent encounter with Sergey involving an unwanted sexual advance and a knife to the man’s neck, it’s revealed that Iris is actually an android. Specifically, she’s an android purchased by Josh to be the perfect girlfriend who he can control with an iPad—her sole purpose is to love him and make him feel like the most important person in the world. In the wake of Sergey’s death, Josh’s friends suggest simply calling tech support to report a faulty robot, since robots are specifically programmed not to kill humans. However, Josh reveals another complication: he’s illegally hacked Iris and made her as human as possible, meaning he removed her programmed inhibitions. They can’t call anyone because it would put Josh in jeopardy.
From there, things only continue to go downhill as Iris escapes, a heist plot is revealed, and the bodies start to pile up. It’s a smart take on the “murderous” robot trope that’s been quickly proliferating in the last few years. Hancock is smart to have the robot be the hero here, instead of the typical scary female robot we’ve seen in films like M3GAN, Subservience, and Afraid. Companion expands upon the ideas seen in Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, but further centers the narrative on the trapped android to portray her as more human than the actual human characters themselves.
Also Read: ‘Into the Deep’ Review: Earnest Shark Action Despite its Flaws
Thatcher beautifully embodies Iris, bringing a doe-eyed innocence, and then unexpected ferocity to a character constructed to be kept in a cage. Thatcher continues to illustrate her star power and ability to bring something special to every character she plays. And that’s on full display in Companion. Opposite her is Jack Quaid, once again proving his impeccable ability to play some of the biggest douchebags ever seen in horror history. His turn as Josh is perfectly repulsive, dripping with Good Guy energy and smug privilege that oozes off the screen.
Then there is the perfectly cast trio of Guillén, Gage, and Suri who almost steal the show with their quick banter and sharp wit that constantly slice through the film’s tension. Gage, in particular, is having a horror moment between Companion and his brief yet memorable appearance in Smile 2. All three have impeccable comedic timing, cracking jokes and slinging insults you’d only hear between close friends. That chemistry is crucial to keeping up the pace and energy of Companion and it carries until the very end.
Also Read: ‘Wolf Man’ Review: Leigh Whannell’s Latest Is A Modern Werewolf Story With A Messy Script
While the narrative is smart and interesting and the performances are endlessly entertaining, Companion is frustratingly surface-level in terms of engaging with the complex gender dynamics in the film. This premise is a perfect way to discuss problematic toxic men and the way culture has grown around their noxious influence. But Hancock chooses to keep the narrative surface level, opting for a heist subplot to keep the action moving forward rather than any musings about the deceptive Good Guy and their dangerous desire for control over the female body. To make what’s essentially a robotic break-up film and not more deeply engage with what the dating landscape looks like, especially when it comes to the heterosexual dating landscape, feels lazy. Josh is already vile, so why not delve deeper into why he is so vile? Hancock already laid the groundwork, it just needed to be built up more.
Companion asks a lot of really interesting questions about the near future, but ultimately trips up in landing an impactful message. Hancock delivers plenty of shocking surprises and quippy dialogue to keep the film entertaining until the very end. But as the credits roll, you may find yourself feeling empty, wishing for more.
Companion is out now in theaters.
Summary
Writer/director Drew Hancock delivers plenty of shocking surprises and quippy dialogue to keep the film entertaining until the very end. But as the credits roll, you may find yourself feeling empty, wishing for more.
