Companion Review

Illustration by Erin Lawson

This past weekend, I watched Companion, starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, and it was nothing like I expected, not even close. Yet, somehow, I really did love it. With a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie did not disappoint. The plot follows a group of friends and their experiences at a weekend getaway at a billionaire’s mansion. As you watch, you find out that two of the members of this group are robots. Thatcher plays one of these robots, Iris, who has been modded by her companion to increase her aggression and self-defense. This leads to the death of Sergey, the billionaire owner of the mansion and starts the chain of events of the film including multiple other deaths, lots of gore, and robot self-discovery—quite the ride.

I have to begin by talking about this movie’s relationship with its advertisement as it is the reason I was so surprised by this film. I was drawn to this movie after  seeing its trailer play in the theater during previews before other showings. These trailers gave me almost no information which is why I was so drawn in. I thought that I was going to see a movie about a toxic relationship where the guy possibly traps the girl through physiological means. Even looking at all the posters for the film, in some of them she has white eyes as a robot does, but after seeing the trailer, I assumed those white eyes signified mind control of some sort. All three of my friends who went to see this film with me agreed that we expected a psychological thriller rather than a kitschy science fiction thriller. Personally, the lack of knowledge I had for this film made it that much better for me. I found out Iris was a robot at the same time Iris found out she was a robot. For me, the lack of information I was given made my experience better, but I can see the alternative happening. If you hate science fiction or futuristic plots, then you would be wildly disappointed to find you were in a movie following robots and their companions. It leads to the question, does withholding key details enhance the moviegoing experience, or does it manipulate audiences into watching something they might have otherwise skipped? Personally, I am not sure I would have seen the film myself if I knew the full plot, but I sure am glad it got me there.

Getting to the film itself, I loved how it used a vintage aesthetic throughout. Through the wardrobe choices and the soundtrack, the whole film had a retro 60s and 70s vibe, even with the addition of high-tech and modern set design. This is especially ironic considering the film is meant to be set in a futuristic timeline where we have robots as lovers. I think this was a smart choice for the film as it not only grounded the robot storyline but also set itself apart from other science fiction films. This aesthetic allowed me to enjoy a sci-fi robotic plot when typically I do not love films that have a techy aesthetic. This choice also added to hiding the true nature of this film as no one expects robots to be dressed in pink vintage checkered fashion. It also made this futuristic society seem closer and more plausible than it might be. The technology blended so seamlessly into modern society in the film that it felt eerily plausible to the real world, adding a layer of horror to the film.

I also have to touch on the acting in this film as it felt quite unique. I have seen almost all of these actors in other shows or movies such as Sophie Thatcher in YellowJackets and Lukas Gage in Euphoria. I think they are fantastic artists and so I feel they were directed to act a little…stupid for this film. The acting was almost airy, especially Jack Quaid’s character whose mannerisms and decisions were almost of a cartoon. This style of acting made me hate his character though which I very much think was the point. If I had never seen these actors before, I might think that they were poorly trained but I know everything was intentional. This style of acting and directing along with the storyline gave the film a bit of a cheesy vibe.

Overall, it was so camp, and I loved it. The story about a robot self-discovering herself was oddly so feminist and fun. There were so many parts that made me infuriated at the screen which only means it did a great job of engaging me. All in all, a fun film to watch through once and get you thinking about being nicer to your Alexa so that she doesn’t one day murder you.