Welcome back to the blog readers. If there is one thing that I love, it is an awesome science-fiction film. Some of my favorite projects have that science fiction label placed on them; and although some of the tropes may be recycled from previous projects, it is all about the execution. Hearing about this project a few months ago really got my interest up, and the trailers I saw for this film only upped the ante for me. With that being said, would I wind up enjoying myself in this film? Stick around to find out.
Companion was written and directed by Drew Hancock. The film stars Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend. In the film, a weekend getaway at a billionaire's remote cabin between friends turns into chaos when it is revealed that one of them is not who (or what) they appear to be.
Like I said before, I love me a good science fiction film, and even if the tropes are recycled it is all about the execution. I also really wanted a win since 2025 started out pretty poor with three underwhelming films to start. And not only do I think that this film was a win, I think this film is a massive win. This film was absolutely awesome in my opinion. I thought Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher were stunning in these roles and I love what the film is trying to say about control.
I want to start out with the usual suspect. If you have been paying my monthly subscription, you would know I have basically been singing the praises of Jack Quaid since July when I started watching The Boys (2019-26). I think he has been great in the role he is given, and I really have not seen him in a whole lot outside of that show. But he really surprised me in this film and he showed me that he actually CAN act. In this film, he takes on the role of the epitome of toxic masculinity and he absolutely excels when he is the douchebag. I never expected to be rooting against his character but he does such wonders that I can no longer see him as just Hughie Campbell.
Now we move over to the lead of the film in Sophie Thatcher. Thatcher is someone I have been relatively cold on over the last few years as she has taken on roles in films like Heretic (2024), The Book of Boba Fett (2021-22) and The Boogeyman (2023). But as Iris, I found myself singing a different tune because she was masterful in this role. It is not often that someone surprises me this well, and Thatcher does just that as she takes on the role of someone trying to discover who (or what) they actually are. She takes on the theme of identity so well and I am here actually hoping she gets more roles like this in the future, because she excels in roles like this.
I have seen some chatter regarding what the themes of this film are. Some people, like Time Magazine, have talked about how toxic masculinity is a main theme, and I can definitely see that in this film. But the main theme that I noticed when watching this film had to do with control. For a character like Iris, it was all about controlling her destiny, and I feel as if she was able to fulfill that by the time the credits roll. For a character like Josh, it was about controlling the things that he could control, and his loss of control is what really sets the events of this film into motion. It almost feels like Ryan's speech from Presence (2025) in places. And for other characters, it was really about controlling other people and the narrative, and their loss of that is the gain of someone like Iris.
I also want to talk about the idea that this film could be about the pitfalls of toxic masculinity. I will not be spoiling the film as I always do, but I do want to mention how there is male-centric dominance over artificial intelligence, and it is that sensation of domination that unravels everything these men are standing for. I believe that we live in a society (no pun intended) that is mainly dominated by men, and it is this caste system that has acted as the downfall of many a society in the past. This is because there is only one set of egos and one point of view that can never be reciprocated. And I think this film is aimed in a way to ensure that we can live in a society in which we can express the other point of view and have the other set of egos in the room to balance everything out.
In conclusion, Companion is a smart and fun thriller that raises questions about control, toxic masculinity and artificial intelligence, all while backed by brilliant performances from Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.
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