Companion belongs to the same group of films as M3GAN, Abigail, Ready or Not, and The Babysitter—competent, entertaining thrillers led by strong actresses giving solid performances. What else do they have in common (besides great instrumental scores)? A first-act twist that the trailer totally spoils—and in Companion’s case, we’ve hit a new low: even the poster gives it away.
If you haven’t seen what the movie is about, do yourself a favor and go in blind. All you need to know is that three couples head to a lakeside retreat, and a shocking event turns them against each other. Companion won’t blow you away with its intelligence or surprises, but it delivers a fun first act that steadily unravels its mysteries—before settling into a more standard, by-the-numbers thriller.
Like other recent ‘twisty’ February releases, the movie gives its characters just enough intelligence to make the audience feel smart. You guess something, feel good about figuring it out, and then a minute later, the character catches up—so you get to feel clever, and the movie still gets credit for having a “smart” protagonist. It’s a neat trick, though some moments (like the voice pitch idea) are actually well thought out and provide small surprises.
Where the film could have done better is in building suspense. It avoids making the audience uncomfortable, as if it’s afraid of pushing too far. The first violent act happens off-screen, with the main character simply explaining it later. When chases and confrontations occur, they feel light and never truly threatening. That same safe, workmanlike approach extends to Jack Quaid’s performance—once again, he’s repeating his The Boys performance, down to the same exaggerated yell when he slams into a car door. Sophie Thatcher, on the other hand, fares much better. With this and Heretic, she proves she’s got the chops, finding just the right tone of voice to hint at her character’s hidden secrets.
At least the movie keeps moving, and unlike M3GAN and Abigail, it doesn’t completely fizzle out in the third act—even if, by then, it’s just going through the motions. The central plan that drives the film falls apart if you think about it for even a second—it’s incredibly dumb, and there’s no way they would have escaped after even the most minimal investigation. Don’t expect any real thematic exploration either. There’s one early moment where a character says, ‘You make me feel so replaceable,’ but that’s about as deep as it gets.
[Spoiler – skip this paragraph if you haven’t seen the movie.] The film had an opportunity to explore more meaningful ideas—like how the men are turning to robotic dolls because they can’t sustain truthful, authentic relationships. A stronger version of the story could have emphasized this by having Quaid’s character actively choose to buy the doll for himself, rather than resenting Iris (which, by the way, is ‘Siri’ reversed). That would have added more weight to his later decision to wake her up before shutting down, making his arc more meaningful.
A subplot involving a secondary couple, played by Harvey Guillén and Lukas Gage, is arguably the film’s best. It does at least brush against some themes about love and connection, but again, the film only touches on them rather than fully engaging. Their arc at least has a satisfying conclusion, though it could have benefited from more depth.
If you go in expecting nothing more than a passable, forgettable thriller, you’ll be fine. Companion delivers some solid twists and a brisk pace, but it never dares to push its tension far enough to be truly gripping. It’s as mid as mid gets—you’ll have a decent time, but don’t be surprised if you barely remember it by the time the weekend is over.