Companion (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – A billionaire’s death sets off a chain of events for Iris and her friends during a weekend trip to his lakeside estate.

My Take – If you though M3GAN (2022) was deeply hilarious in its portrayal of the ‘horrors of A.I.’, wait till you get a load of this one, which counts Barbarian (2022) director Zach Cregger as one of its producers.

Marking the latest addition to the increasingly overcrowded tech-horror genre, writer-director Drew Hancock‘s impressive debut offers a fresh spin on the tech thriller and feels as relevant as it is entertaining. Going to dark and bloody places while balancing humor to amazing effect.

Yes, what could have been the main twist was sadly revealed in the trailer, but surprisingly knowing about the big reveal ahead of time doesn’t hurt the film. As there are subtle, clever clues to Iris’ true nature sprinkled throughout early scenes, and knowing the twist helps you spot them while adding to the fun.

Structured as a modern twist on The Stepford Wives concept, the script takes time to explore the crisis of current interpersonal relationships, machismo and the desire of many men to obtain female submission and reduce their partner to a mere decorative element that gives them status.

But, though such kind of a subject isn’t anything new, the execution, however, is both charming and disturbing. Most importantly, it is consistently funny and clever when it needs to be, while never forgetting to keep things exciting.

The story follows Iris (Sophie Thatcher), a young woman who with her self-proclaimed “nice guy” boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid), is heading for a weekend getaway in the woods with some of Josh’s friends. However, Iris is nervous, mainly because she believes his friends, especially Kat (Megan Suri), doesn’t like her.

And while, upon arrival, Kat does indeed give Iris the cold shoulder almost immediately and her older Russian boyfriend Sergey (Rupert Friend), who is also the owner of the massive place they are staying at, is vaguely creepy and threatening. His other friends, the affable couple Eli (Harvey Guillén) and Patrick (Lukas Gage) are genuinely kind to her. Iris, meanwhile, is clearly wholly devoted to Josh, almost obsessively so.

She’s not shy about professing her love, and she treats Josh like the most important person in her world. Of course, she does. After all, she is programmed to do so as a companion robot. That essentially offers an AI-powered girlfriend experience; all the pleasures of a loving partner with none of the pesky difficulties that come with free will.

She’s harmless, docile, completely customizable, and cannot lie. Yet, Iris has no idea about this and is completely convinced that she’s a real person. Never realizing that Josh is able to control her behavior via an app on his phone. But, everything changes when she ends up committing an act of violence that, unbeknownst to her, should be impossible, and soon, all hell soon breaks loose.

Here, director Drew Hancock doesn’t really try to hide things for very long. Swiftly shifting the focus to how the narrative will address it and how the characters will respond. At its core, the film is about relationships; how we navigate them, how they change, and how they might look in a not-so-distant future. It’s deeply relevant in an era where technology often blurs the lines between connection and isolation.

But while, the film does give the impression that it will dive deeper into the moral, ethical and philosophical issues surrounding intimate human/robot relationships in similar vein to Ex Machina (2014). Thankfully, after a sweet and cute opening act, the script reveals its true nature, that is being possibly one of the best bloody black comedies released in recent times. And director Drew Hancock deserves praise for making the dramatic shift in tone work as well as it does.

He also excels in maximizing the uniqueness of his concept. Every choice, from the sharp dialogue to the ominous score, feels intentional, working toward the bigger picture. We are not just watching events unfold, we are witnessing broader implications, like a ‘what could go wrong type of scenario’, that feel all too real.

Surprisingly, the film isn’t shy about wearing its influences on it sleeve and never comes across as derivative, frequently feeling fresh and invigorating, full of wild, laugh-out-loud energy that keeps you hooked and exhilarated. Even at its darkest and bloodiest, its goal remains to entertain.

Performance wise, Jack Quaid cements that he’s as good at playing nice guys who really aren’t. He effectively channels his inner weasel by behaving like decent fellow, by in reality is actually controlling, self-absorbed and entitled. Hilariously, Quaid somehow manages to make his thoroughly reprehensible character likable. Sophie Thatcher is fantastic in her star making turn. Aside from being her typically cute and charming self, she’s very funny and exhibits a talent for physical comedy as well. In supporting roles,

Megan Suri is her solid self, so is Rupert Friend as the daft Russian with a tan and mullet. Harvey Guillén brings most of the humor and is well, partnered with an endearing Lukas Gage. On the whole, ‘Companion‘ is a bloody fun sci-fi-tinged, comedic thriller buoyed by solid central performances.