Sci-fi thriller “Companion” keeps the thrills on auto-pilot
Ever since man was able to theorize about the potential of artificial intelligence, there have been countless fictional tales about rogue AI. “The Terminator,” “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” and “2001: A Space Odyssey” are all classic examples of stories where humans have to reckon with the consequences of creating artificial life. Horror is a terrific vehicle to explore these fears, and when done properly, can result in some truly disturbing material. It is also worth noting that in most of these stories, the human characters are the protagonists and the AI is the antagonist. Drew Hancock’s directorial debut, “Companion,” challenges that notion, as it centers on a rogue robot girlfriend that suddenly becomes aware of her less-than-human nature, as she has to fight against the humans trying to shut her down. Unfortunately, this great premise that begs to be explored in a new and fascinating way is not fully delivered. “Companion” sadly ends up being a trite and an all-too-conventional exercise in boredom.
Released in January of 2025, “Companion” admittedly has a lot going for it. The editing in particular was pretty great, it has some good camera work by DP Eli Born and also a pretty neat aesthetic. It reminded me a lot of Zach Cregger’s 2022 film, “Barbarian,” which I believe was a deliberate choice. All of the marketing for the movie drew great attention to the fact that this was from “the creators of ‘Barbarian,’” although it seems like “creators” really just means producers. I wish that they had not drawn the attention to “Barbarian,” as, for one, I believe that director Drew Hancock did not get the attention he deserved, and two, it made me subconsciously compare both movies. I will only say that next to “Barbarian,” the comparison is pretty unfavorable to “Companion.”
Although I appreciated many of the technical elements, I did not particularly care for the script. Most of the dialogue was either unrealistic or flat-out cringe, and I could not get immersed in the characters while they were talking. It is also important to note that this movie is less interested in the politics of AI than I would have liked. Instead, the film is a not-so-subtle metaphor for the way women are treated in society. I do not have a problem with this angle on its face, and the metaphor is apt, but I was really turned off by how completely unsubtly the message was presented. The main character, Iris, is quite literally controlled by Jack Quaid’s character, Josh, via an iPhone app. The movie is also incredibly self-serious, and this is partially why the lack of subtlety comes at its detriment. “The Substance” is a 2024 horror film that also has messages about the way women are treated, and it is not particularly subtle either. However, “The Substance” gets away with it because the entire movie’s aesthetic is supposed to be silly, loud and abrasive. “Companion” thinks it is a lot smarter than it actually is, which makes its less subtle moments feel all the more embarrassing.
The performances are fine, but nothing amazing. A lot of people are saying that Sophie Thatcher is the best, and I guess I agree. She is not doing anything revolutionary but she has moments where her acting elevates the poor material she is given. Jack Quaid seems like a great guy and can be a good actor, but I hate to say that I did not buy him in this role at all. There are moments when he is supposed to act sinister and I just could never take him seriously as a threat.
What could have been a pretty good, or even great film, ended up just being disappointing. It is not offensively bad, nor is it decent. It is the very definition of “mid,” but I do not want this to seem too negative. Drew Hancock seems like a good director who just needs to get rid of his screenwriter: Drew Hancock, and he is sure to find more success. If nothing, I am happy that I seem to be in the minority, as this movie has been getting raving reviews. It will hopefully mean that studios will be more willing to take chances on original projects, but I can only wish that they end up better than this one.
