Companion is a movie that I think is best enjoyed if you know absolutely nothing about it. I watched the trailers after I saw the movie and I implore you to not watch them if you plan to watch this movie, because it gives too much away. 

I managed to dodge the trailers, but just before I went to see the movie, a friend of mine texted me what the premise was and it ruined a reveal that happens in the first quarter or so of the movie. Thanks Kevin! 

All you need to know going in is that Companion is a black comedy thriller that stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid as Iris and Josh, a couple who are on a weekend getaway with friends at a remote cottage, and bad things start happening. 

This was written and directed by Drew Hancock, in his feature film debut. The marketing also leaned into the fact that Zach Cregger, the director of Barbarian (a movie I adored), was the producer on it. 

So with that out of the way, is Companion worth bringing along for the ride, or should you leave this one behind?

My Thoughts

First things first, I want to say this was a very solid debut film for writer/director Drew Hancock. The film was competently directed, and if you watch it a second time (or know what the premise is) there are some clever hints and nods to the big reveal in the first act. While they wait to make the first reveal clear, there are some pretty fun and clever hints about it for viewers to pick up on. 

That also leads me into more of my problems with the script though. Even if you don’t see this early twist coming, what disappointed me most was how untrusting the movie feels of the audience. When things go bad, it’s immediately clear who did something to cause the issue, even if it’s not 100% obvious what was done. This sort of heavy-handedness permeates throughout the movie and while it doesn’t take away from the movie completely, it absolutely impacted my enjoyment. 

However, I don’t want to leave you with the impression that I disliked this movie, because I didn’t. These are ultimately minor bumps in the road for what was a well-acted and fun little thriller. 

The cast is fantastic. This is the second movie I’ve seen Sophie Thatcher in recently, the first being last year’s Heretic. I’ve been very impressed with her in both of these movies and I thought she balances the challenges of this role incredibly well. Jack Quaid was also great as a less-than-likable boyfriend, too. I haven’t seen him much outside of The Boys, where he plays a much kinder person. The line between a nice guy and an entitled douchebag is thin, though, and he absolutely nailed this role. The supporting cast is also solid, even if they didn’t exactly standout in any real big ways. 

The comedic elements of the movie really landed for me throughout the first two acts, but as we get into the third act, the comedic tone is mostly abandoned for a bit more of a serious one. It was a bit jarring for me, especially considering how much fun I was having at the beginning. I will give it credit because the movie doesn’t get as over-dramatic and serious as other movies, but it did lose a bit of steam for me as the jokes subside for a more cliched ending. 

I’m a bit cautious to say much more than this here because I really think this movie is best enjoyed knowing as little as possible.

Verdict

I definitely recommend you give this movie a watch, preferably with some friends at the theatre if you can! I saw this with Sam and Adriana and I definitely think the humorous moments land even better when you’re sharing a laugh with others. While I didn’t love it, I definitely enjoyed it. The first two acts were great and even though the third act faltered a bit for me, it was still solid and delivered a great payoff that I was waiting basically the whole movie to experience. 

If you want to hear more of my spoiler-filled thoughts, be sure to check out Talkies wherever you get your podcasts, because Adriana, Brandon, and I will be talking about this in our next episode!

In the meantime though, bring your own companions and see this one soon!