Title – Companion (2025)

Director – Drew Hancock (feature debut)

Cast – Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Rupert Friend

Plot – A weekend away with friends in a remote cabin turns into a life and death battle of wits when the truth about loved up couple Iris (Thatcher) and Josh (Quaid) becomes apparent.  

“There were two times I felt truly happy. First, the day I met Josh; second, the day I killed him”

Review by Eddie on 14/04/2025

If you’re considering watching Companion, Drew Hancock’s critically respected box office dud, I’d strongly suggest you go into this quickfire experience without watching trailers or reading too many reviews about this film that is best left discovered as it unravels.

Taking many familiar elements and adding in some fresh ingredients and twists on expectations, Companion neatly navigates the tricky waters of giving its audience some digestible and stereotypical elements while also giving viewers some fun and unique elements that ensure Companion is an enjoyable ride, even if it’s a slight/unmemorable one in the grand scheme of things.

With a vibrant visual palette and a nicely tuned tongue in cheek script, Hancock gives his debut feature a hearty sense of playfulness as Sophie Thatcher’s dedicated partner Iris attends a weekend getaway with her scheming boyfriend Josh (a very The Boys like Jack Quaid) as Companion morphs into a nice mix of genre’s, that for the unexpecting viewer will take them on a wild ride to some dark and curious places.

Tricky to talk about without giving away all the little eccentricities and fun discoveries to be found along its 90 minute journey, Companion importantly and perhaps most notably gives Heretic breakout star Sophie Thatcher another star making vehicle that is sure to continue to catapult the young actress into the major leagues.

Standing tall as the films MVP, Thatcher has a blast bringing Iris too life and it’s a joy to watch a character like this be designed as such a smart and capable player in the stories broader narrative with Iris showing herself to be a competent and quick thinking victim/perpetrator who utilises her skillsets to achieve desirable outcomes and stand the test of adversity being thrown her way.

While certainly not a straight up horror, it’s rare to watch a film with genre elements such as this where you’re not constantly bemoaning character decision making or troubleshooting and Thatcher’s performance along with Iris’s development and design goes a long way to making sure Companion is a film worth checking out even though not all of its elements or ideas feel as fully explored as you would have hoped for.

Final Say –

Giving itself a fresh coat of paint to make sure what is old is new once again, Companion gifts us a great lead character and another notable turn from its leading lady to become a fun and fast-paced experience that is mostly enjoyable from start to finish.

3 intelligence levels out of 5