First-time director/writer Drew Hancock delivers an impressive and thrilling calling card with Companion, a film that superficially treads familiar ground in its AI-centred subject matter yet delivers a story that’s full of twists and surprises alongside some proper belly laughs. We’re only in February but Companion is a film that’s likely to be on many people’s ‘films of the year’ list come December.
Companion opens with the first meeting between dreamy Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and clumsy Josh (Jack Quaid) in a supermarket. The attraction between the two is instant. A few months later, they’re a couple and driving into the countryside to spend some time with their friends. Kat (Megan Suri) is distant and detached and clearly doesn’t like Iris for… well, reasons. Sergey (Rupert Friend) is Kat’s slightly sleazy -and extremely rich – new boyfriend. Eli (Harvey Guillén) and Patrick (Lukas Gage) are completely loved up and barely have eyes for anyone else. But there’s an odd and uncomfortable atmosphere amongst the group, and an incident occurs that changes the dynamic altogether as we discover that secrets and lies lurk around every corner…
Obviously, we’re going no deeper into the plot – if you’ve seen the trailer but not yet seen the film, then you already have a fair idea of where Companion is going. What you won’t suspect, though, are the glorious and deftly constructed turns of a plot that pivots effortlessly from broadly funny to shocking and startling and then back again. It’s a film you really won’t be able to second-guess because as soon as you think you’ve got a handle on it, something new and unexpected (and, to be honest, a little unlikely even within the confines of a horror/sci-fi hybrid) comes along to completely wrongfoot you. Hancock’s smart direction really puts the meagre budget (just $10 million) on the screen (most of the film takes place in one location), and Quaid and, especially, Sophie Thatcher (seen recently in the excellent Heretic) are terrific, but there are no weak links in the film’s small cast and despite some big ideas and huge narrative swings that the film takes, Hancock’s nimble, knowing script makes it all feel quite intimate and personal and we can’t help investing in this bunch of characters even if none of them are really very nice people.
Companion is an unexpected delight in a post-Christmas season that often throws out cheap and cheerful but ultimately forgettable and unimaginative low-budget horror fare. Companion is a breath of fresh air in a genre that can often feel stale, stifling and mundane. Don’t take our word for it – just go and see it. Take a friend.
COMPANION is in UK and US cinemas now
