Over the years, many films have offered the same dystopian vision of the future as Companion. A totally subservient and incredibly gorgeous humanoid robot available solely for the user’s pleasure and comfort. In this sense, Companion treads well-worn territory. However, its execution and concern with relationships over AI are a fresh change that makes Companion one of the best films in this niche genre.

At its core Companion is a break-up film. It’s a movie about moving on from a toxic relationship. Even when you are contractually obligated to stay with your abuser. In Companion, we root for the artificial intelligence because we see how vile humans can be. The result skews closer to Stepford Wives than Ex Machina, but the delivery is so fun that we stop worrying about AI’s inevitable control as soon as the film starts.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Companion tempers its reveal early on in the film. The first trailer for this film was so bonkers and non-expositionary that I knew this was going to be a must-watch for me. Unfortunately, the second trailer for this film felt the need to ruin the twist. A twist I would have loved to see organically on screen rather than know going in.

Regardless it’s impossible to talk about the film without giving away some of the major plot beats. Jack Quaid stars as Josh, a lonely almost incel character who is dating Iris, a companion robot played to perfection by Sophie Thatcher. Iris gets caught up in a larger scheme put in motion by Josh, one that forces her to question everything about her relationship and existence.

Iris

Sophie Thatcher as Iris is the star of the show here both in her narrative and execution. The casting of Scream Queen Thatcher as a perfect companion robot is a novel one and one that makes the film feel more grounded. It’s easy to imagine Megan Fox or Alicia Vikander as a perfect robot specimen, but Thatcher brings complexity to this non-human role. We end up rooting for Iris almost instantly as she starts to take back her life.

Jack Quaid also does an amazing job as the naive but cruel Josh. His character oozes with charm at the beginning of the film but almost instantly starts to show his flaws. We see his selfish actions, his less-than-caring attitude, and penchant for self-pity throughout the film’s first act. Quaid perfectly encapsulates this role and we can see Jack turning into a bona-fide movie star.

Support Bots

The cast is rounded out by some one-note but ultimately fun supporting characters. Rupert Friend gives an amazing performance as the scumbag billionaire, and Harvey Guillen is hilarious as the sweet but flawed Eli.

The film may hinge on Thatcher’s performance as Iris, but it is just as fun watching these side characters bumble around trying to figure out how to stop the rogue sex-bot. A second act reveals more about the world of Companion, and creates an interesting tension that propels the film while evening the playing field.

Barbarian

Much of the marketing for Companion has centered around the production team made up of Zach Creeger and Roy Lee. The team behind 2022’s excellent horror film Barbarian. Companion shares a lot of DNA with Barbarian, but it’s the comedy from Creeger and Drew Hancock that is really on display here.

Before Creeger became a bankable name in horror film directing, he was a founding member of the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids You Know. His time with this group seems to have shaped his sensibilities and Companion delivers a lot more laughs than you might expect from the people behind Barbarian. This film is filled with social commentary about men and relationships, but it does so in a way that is truly funny. Even while making big statements about abuse and relationships, Companion never takes itself too seriously. It knows what kind of film it is and the movie is better for that.

Infatuation and Break-Ups

At the beginning of the film, Iris is exactly what she’s supposed to be. She’s the fantasy of all incel creepy Redditor trolls. A totally subservient, always impeccably dressed, doting, loving girlfriend. When some spoilery-related programming starts to go amiss, Iris starts to see the entire forest. Not just the trees. She sees not just who Josh really is, but who she’s become. And this is the real theme of the Companion.

There is a big theme and commentary here about incels and men who control women. But ultimately it’s a movie about moving on from a toxic relationship. Iris realizes that she hasn’t existed outside of Josh before. It’s a realization that’s literal in the sense of her, but a universal one many of us can relate to. When we get caught in a toxic relationship, it’s hard to see what everyone else can tell so clearly. We overlook flaws and only remember the good stuff. Be it through programming or nostalgia, it can be tough to end a relationship. Even an abusive one.

De-Programming

The best horror or sci-fi films are the ones that use high concepts to tell real stories. Sci-fi isn’t a fortune-telling crystal ball for the future, it’s a commentary on the present. And that’s exactly what Companion does best. It tells the story of a sex robot gaining sentience outside of her master. But it’s really a story about a woman finding the courage to leave a brutal abusive relationship.

Companion fully realizes this narrative better than most films, but is also incredibly fun in the process. It’s a darkly funny commentary on toxic male culture. This isn’t a new theme, but it’s done here with such an interesting framing device and with so much fun that I can’t help but love this film.