
COMPANION
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend
Director: Drew Hancock

ADRIANO

Companion is a fun time at the movies, featuring some exciting visuals and an unapologetic zaniness in its tension. Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid are both excellent and ground the film, which is necessary because it gets shallow when the film tries to truly explore its themes. The movie's attempts at being about toxic relationships and Andrew Tate-esque male insecurity essentially come across as "this is bad" and not much else. Also, there are plenty of twists, but I saw most of them coming. Still, from a pure entertainment standpoint, there's plenty to enjoy.

KATIE

Companion is a solidly entertaining thriller with good performances, but it's not without its shortcomings. At times, I was unsure if the dialogue was meant to be funny or just very obvious with the point, and I found Jack Quaid’s character, Josh, to be so underdeveloped that he felt like a caricature. The film attempts to comment on incellic notions of how women should act and behave, but it doesn’t feel earned and is ultimately unsatisfying. Nonetheless, Sophie Thatcher is incredible, showing off her scream queen potential, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting her next horror project.

PAIGE

Companion is a deranged and twisted sci-fi horror with sharp commentary that explores toxicity in relationships in a dark yet humorous manner. Even though the concept isn't totally original and the pacing is a bit all over the place, first time director Drew Hancock does a great job executing this story. The film isn’t shy, knowing exactly what it is: a fun, gnarly, and over-the-top thrill ride. Jack Quaid kills it as the too-good-to-be-true boyfriend Josh, while Sophie Thatcher is certainly an actress to keep an eye on as she delivers another great performance.

QUENTIN

Much like Barbarian, which has been referenced incessantly in the marketing (“from the creators of Barbarian”), Companion is a great “the less you know, the better” movie that is sharp, slick, incisive, surprisingly funny, and a thrilling social commentary on perceived gender roles. It probably hits even harder given what is happening in the United States right now. It’s admittedly not overly original — I could rattle off at least a dozen movies that have touched on similar themes — but it’s a witty breath of fresh air in an overplayed genre. It’s hard to believe a movie this good was dropped in January.

NICK

Although I wish the marketing didn't give things away, Companion is more than just the sum of its twists. In his directorial debut, Drew Hancock infuses this horror-tinged love story with the right amount of laughs and thrills to keep things moving at a breakneck speed while the entertaining cast does their thing. Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher (both of whom seem to be having a moment) show off their range as they play off each other through a gamut of genres that will only enhance their rise. Even the side characters (Harvey Guillén's Eli, especially) leave their mark. A real buzzer-beater to salvage January.