Let me start by stating, that the less you know about Companion the better this movie is going to be for you. I saw the trailer a couple of times and Sophie Thatcher (The Boogeyman, MaXXXine, Heretic, Yellowjackets, The Book of Boba Fett) and Jack Quaid (The Hunger Games, Scream, Scream VI, Oppenheimer) being in the movie were more than enough of a reason for me to check it out. Plus, the movie looked like a lot of fun.
How to Download Companion
Companion was released on January 31, 2025. You can expect to be able to download or stream it from Max or other digital platforms several months from its theatrical premiere. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the current availability.
The Movie Review
From the trailer, my assumption was that it was basically a thriller about a controlling boyfriend who has kidnapped his girlfriend or something along those lines. To be honest, that is not all that far off. However, I will admit, I was a little thrown off when I kept seeing Companion referred to as some kind of sci-fi thriller, but there is a point in the movie where it all clicks and it is honestly a complete mindblower if you do not know the twist.
The Cast and Characters
The story of Companion has a couple, Iris and Josh, who are on their way to a remote fancy place in the middle of nowhere. Iris and Josh are played by Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid. Sophie Thatcher was awesome in Heretic and she is one of the standouts in the amazing Yellow Jackets. Plus, Jack Quaid is the heart that holds the awesome Amazon Prime series, The Boys together.
At this cabin, they meet a few of Josh’s friends and it at first appears that they will have a good weekend together. There is something “off” about Iris. Iris is obsessed with fitting in and she feels that Josh’s friends do not like her. You can tell right away that Iris really is willing to do anything to make Josh happy.
A Thriller That Keeps You Guessing
spoilers, but what starts off as a weekend getaway, soon goes to hell and Iris and Josh find themselves…. Let’s just say, having a few disagreements about the way things need to go over the weekend. Again, trust me when I tell you that the less you know about the plot of Companion the better it will be. Hell, there are some comparisons to other movies that I am just dying to make here, but I am restraining myself as that will give away what the twist of the movie is.
A Well-Crafted Trailer That Keeps the Mystery Alive
Speaking of restraint, I have to give the people who put the trailer of Companion together an absolute ton of credit. Far too many trailers spoil movies these days or pretty much show you what the whole movie is about. A recent example of this is Flight Risk, that was not a bad movie by any means, but what you saw in the 3 or so minutes long trailer was pretty much the whole movie! It would have been so easy to show the audience the twist of Companion in the trailer to try and get people into the theatre.
Final Thoughts on Companion
I was having fun with Companion and then when that twist happened, I was legit shocked and mind-blown. Not many movies have managed to get me like this one did and it made the movie even more fun as I kept wondering how the heck the characters were going to get out of this situation.
This is one of those movies that I am so glad that I made the effort to actually go and see. Granted, as I write this it is only February, but this is the biggest shock of the year as it was so much better than I thought it was going to be and I already thought it was going to be pretty good!
