Colleen Grahek

Staff Writer

Science fiction, horror and comedy do not always mix. But in Drew Hancock’s film, “Companion”, these genres mesh in ways that offer a surprisingly enjoyable and poignant watch. 

Directed and written by Hancock, “Companion” stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid as Iris and Josh respectively, a young couple who go on a cabin retreat to spend the weekend with friends. This meet-and-greet turns sour quickly as it is revealed that one of the guests is a robot built for love and companionship. Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillen and Rupert Friend are supporting players. 

Taking tropes of the horror genre such as the secluded cabin where all of the action takes place, the gathering of friends with personalities that clash and the suspense on who is going to survive at the end are all evident. But Hancock’s use of comic relief, clever wordplay with vocabulary used by the characters such as, “I wasn’t built that way,” and “I’m not just another object for you,” and colorful characters offer a refreshing twist on the story, making it not just another bland “killer vs. everyone else” type of story.  

Underneath the on-going action and obvious themes of the rapidly unsettling development of lifelike artificial intelligence and man vs. technology, there is an allusion to the topic of manipulative and abusive relationships. The way that the main robot gets treated by their creator and the use of symbolism as a robot being a victim in a troubling relationship is effective, even though the message does become heavy-handed during one of the last scenes.  

The humor is also very tasteful and does not distract. Jokes land naturally with a few laughs and one sequence provides a brief moment of laugh out loud hilarity that eases some of the tension of the rest of the film. 

There is also clever symbolism in the costumes. Josh and his friends’ dark, earthy blues and greens, contrasting with Iris’s light pastel clothes and pale complexion highlights how much of an outsider she is to the rest of the group. This is an example on how costumes, when done well, can not only give the audience a clue as to the personalities of the characters, but also with their relationships with each other. 

The acting from the cast, in particular Thatcher’s, was better than expected. Thatcher’s acting style gives us just the right amount of other-worldly to the point that it does not come off as stereotypically robot sounding, giving Iris humanity in her actions and dialect. Other highlights are Guillen and Gage’s performances as the loving and comedic couple, Eli and Patrick respectively. Their chemistry blossoms on the screen whenever they share it. The same can be said for Thatcher and Quaid, but Guillen and Gage steal the show with their comedic timing and three-dimensional personalities. 

The score and songs also work to the film’s favor. The use of the Goo Goo Dolls’ song “Iris” when Iris first arrives at Josh’s apartment is a hidden joke that those who may not have heard the song before, or who have heard it but don’t know the name, might not catch right away. Hrishikesh Hirway’s score provides a false sense of calm with his eerily soothing yet melancholy sound that compliments the film’s scenic setting of a beautiful cabin on the lake.  

The cinematography and editing provide a nonlinear approach to the narrative that, when pieced together towards the end, allows the point of view of the audience to change. If anyone has the chance to view the film a second time, there is no doubt that the viewing experience would be different. 

With any post 1960’s horror film there is going to be blood and gore. While certain scenes are not for the faint of heart, thankfully not many shots linger on the gore for too long minus a few sequences that involve a character wandering around for a period of time drenched in blood. This does not deter from the film’s excellence. 

Overall, with a well-balanced cast, terrific performances, minimal jump scares and a fresh take on the science fiction and horror tropes, “Companion” is a film that subverts expectations from the opening credits to the ending shot.  

“Companion” is now playing in theatres.