The Stream: Avoid the trailer if you can, it gives away too much of the movie.

The Big Screen: Very interesting premise with an edge and wit.

The Final Bill: The movie’s intriguing plot will pull you in and the strong cast will keep you entertained.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Drew Hancock
Writers: Drew Hancock
Stars: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend, Megan Suri, Lukas Gage
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Dark Comedy
Rating: Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout.
Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes
Production Companies: BoulderLight Productions, New Line Cinema, Vertigo Entertainment
Platform: In theaters January 31, 2025
Notable Trailers: Love Hurts, Heart Eyes, Sinners, The Alto Knights, Ballerina

Hey, Streamers! The first month of 2025 is almost gone, and Hollywood has delivered some decent movies so far. Companion promises to keep that trend coming with its offbeat premise and potential for intrigue. Apparently from the creators of Barbarian, Companion tells the story of Josh (Jack Quaid) and his girlfriend, Iris (Sophie Thatcher) as they travel to a remote cabin to spend a weekend getaway with Josh’s friends. Iris is desperately in love with Josh, but she feels his friend don’t like her. Iris struggles to fit in with the friend group and maintain Josh’s affections and attention until things take a strange turn. Things-aren’t-what-they-seem, bloody hijinks ensue.

When they invoke Barbarian in promoting this movie, I’m already seated. Barbarian was such an unexpected and entertaining movie that I was hopeful to find the same spark with Companion. Companion does have some of that spark, but it is dulled by the fact that some twists of the movie are revealed in the trailer. I say that you should avoid the trailer if you can. Nevertheless, this premise is interesting, even though it does have an obvious “Twilight Zone” vibe and follows the plot of most thrillers like it. The writer/director has been able to inject this movie with a great sense of wit and whimsy with its use of music and color throughout. Moreover, the movie being told from Iris’s perspective is clever and adds another depth and twist to this kind of Sci-Fi/Thriller. Additionally, this cast is uniformly good. Sophie Thatcher can be a bit annoying in the way she speaks, but she has a strong presence and endearing quality. Jack Quaid has mastered playing these flimsy duds from “The Boys” to the Scream franchise – his face is immediately punchable, which works here. I’ll also shout out strong, sweet work from Harvey Guillen and Lukas Gage as the cute, mismatched couple.

Ultimately, Companion is an entertaining thriller with a cool premise and a sly sense of humor. Unfortunately, the promotion of this movie has given away too much of what makes the movie interesting, which makes the movie feel too simple as a result. Nevertheless, the cast plays off each other really well. I say avoid the previews for this movie, but a matinee with a bowl of popcorn is well-worth a trip to the theater.