Drew Hancock's feature directorial debut Companion is currently streaming on MAX, a subscription is required to watch. Warner Bros originally released the Sci-Fi/Thriller/Dark Comedy theatrically across the United States on January 31, 2025. The film was also previously released in IMAX on January 10, 2025.
“New Line Cinema—the studio that brought you The Notebook—and the unhinged creators of Barbarian cordially invite you to experience a new kind of love story.”
Since Iris and Josh met in a supermarket, the two have been inseparable. Now they want to spend the weekend together with Josh's friends at the luxurious lake estate of Sergey. His mistress Kat, and friends Eli and Patrick will also be there. At first, Iris is unsure, convinced that everyone hates her. After a bumpy start, the six spend a boisterous evening together. But the following morning will change their lives forever.
Companion is written and directed by Drew Hancock and stars Sophie Thatcher (The Boogeyman), Jack Quaid (Scream), Lukas Gage, Megan Suri (It Lives Inside), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) and Rupert Friend (Separation).
Teaser:Official Trailer (contains spoilers):
Interview Sophie Thatcher & Jack Quaid's Horror-Romance Was THERAPEUTIC:
Jack-O's Review: "More of a Sci-Fi Thriller with Dark Comedy than a Horror film, no Romance more like what not to do when in a relationship. I loved the twists and turns, very entertaining, great dialogue, well acted, gory kill scenes and witty humor. The trailer gives away a lot of the twists so avoid that. There's a short cutaway scene where the gay couple meet at a Halloween costume party and then later on a second short cutaway funny scene at the same Halloween party. I give it ★★★★ = Excellent" @trickhorrortreater
More Reviews:
"Writer/director Drew Hancock makes a really impressive debut here, mixing genres like a veteran. There’s a dark comedy at the core of this film that he never loses sight of, even when he’s leaning into it also being a sci-fi tale or a psychological thriller...Companion is a nifty little flick. Again, going in as blind to the surprises and twists of the film as possible will lead to even more fun, but the movie works regardless of that. It’s a calling card for Hancock, a showcase for Thatcher, and a high quality genre offering. As an early year release especially, this is truly a cut above." ★★★½ AwardsRadar.com
"Hancock’s script is full of effective punchline comedy colored by Quaid’s familiar hysterics and Guillén’s hilarious buoyancy...There was plenty of room for Companion to lean heavier into both its horrific and comedic elements. Despite feeling like it doesn’t maximize its potential, there are a few great moments of carnage candy intermixed with some more rudimentary kills. With plenty of “nice guys finish last” quips abound, they somehow don’t get old to laugh and scoff at, especially when sandwiched between formidable tension and excitement...Hancock’s film is not revolutionary nor particularly thoughtful past the outline of its concept. Regardless, it’s an enjoyable romp in the sci-fi horror sphere." ★★½ RogerEbert.com
"This brash debut with Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher is slickly made but it’s not as clever or original as it thinks it is...Like a lot of first-time writer-directors (including Companion’s producer Zach Cregger, whose showy film Barbarian impressed others more than it did me back in 2023), Hancock is a far better director than writer, and so the film is more sleekly made than it is thoughtfully written (he adds far more gloss than $10m would suggest), with convenient inconsistencies, a short yet stretched runtime and a rather flat fight-to-the-death Terminator-esque finale leaving things on a so-what shrug. For a film about advanced technology, it’s all awfully simple." ★★ TheGuardian.com
"The movie has a familiarity to it, but I've racked my brain for a clean point of comparison and have struggled to find one. It's more like a distillation of different things floating in the zeitgeist, vaguely reminiscent of your Ready or Nots, your The Menus, your Promising Young Womans, your M3GANs, and, yes, your Barbarians, but a poor likeness of any of them when put side-by-side. The trailers suggest horror, but Companion plays like a sci-fi-tinged, comedic thriller. It's designed to entertain, and entertain it does." ★★★½ ScreenRant.com
"Companion is full of twists and surprises...Sophie Thatcher is excellent in Companion...the type of movie that will surely be fun to revisit so you can spot all the little hints and clues that get thrown out early on, making the entire endeavour even more enjoyable in the end...Even at its darkest and bloodiest, this is a fun movie, and gosh, it felt refreshing to have fun at the movies again. This is Drew Hancock's feature debut, and he's immediately proven himself as a filmmaker to pay attention to...Moviegoers often cry out that they want fresh, original films instead of more endless remakes and sequels. Well, here you go. Companion is exactly what you're looking for. Don't miss it." 9 out of 10 SlashFilm.com
"Apart from the impeccable cast, what’s most impressive about Companion is its balance of so many differing moving parts. It’s a genuinely funny comedy, a suspenseful thriller, and has some pretty gnarly gore scenes to boot. Simultaneously, it never lets the feelings of love, betrayal, and deceit get lost in the action or the line between human and robot. It all blurs to make up a surprisingly earnest conversation about how destructive love — and, even more so, not having it — can be. It’s not a miserable vision of a world where tech replaces love, but a snaring look at how men still view women as adaptable to their needs, and a surprisingly tender reminder that love, the right kind of love, makes the world go round." 8/10 Collider.com
YouTube Reviews:
