COMPANION: 4 STARS. “blends social commentary, thrills and lots of dark humor.”
SYNOPSIS: In “Companion,” a darkly comedic sci-fi thriller starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, and now playing in theatres, a weekend get-a-way at a billionaire’s palatial home takes a turn when the host is killed.
CAST: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén and Rupert Friend. Directed by Drew Hancock.
REVIEW: (CAREFUL! MILD SPOILERS AHEAD) “Companion” is a fast paced, entertaining thriller that tackles big subjects like power structures, misogyny and our relationship with technology.
I’m keeping the synopsis and review vague as to not give away the film’s secrets. The pleasure of “Companion” is in its reveals, the way it invites the viewer in, and then subverts expectations.
Writer/director Drew Hancock sets the off-kilter tone off the top, staging a love-at-first sight meet cute between Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid) as Iris narrates, “There have been two moments in my life when I was happiest. The first was the day I met Josh. And the second, the day I killed him.” It’s a delicious film noir flourish that hints us at the darkness to come in an intriguing manner.
Without giving too much away, I can say that there is more (or less, depending on how you look at it) to Josh than you might think at first glance. Hidden under his boyish charm is a conniving misogynist, incapable of deep feelings who feels the world owes him a debt. Quaid, who inherited his famous father Dennis’s toothy grin, gleefully goes from hero to zero, slowly revealing the cruelty that simmers inside.
The less you know about Iris the better. Just know that Thatcher, who impressed as a Mormon missionary in last year’s “Heretic,” is given the freedom to showcase many sides of her talent. From rom com princess to otherworldly femme fatale to action star, she does it all in a variety of languages and accents, and she’s a blast.
At its wizened heart “Companion” is a movie about (CAREFUL! SPOILERISH COMMENTS AHEAD) technology. But unlike “Westworld,” which mined similar territory, it’s not a technology gone wild movie, it’s about how tech can be manipulated by humans to do their bidding. (FINAL WARNING! STOP READING NOW!) “You programmed me to murder someone Josh,” says Iris. “It’s really hard to come back after that.”
“Companion” breathes the same air as shows like “Black Mirror” and “The Twilight Zone,” blending social commentary with genuine thrills and lots of dark humor.
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