Companion spoiler-free review – A smart and spiky romance reboot

When it comes to horror and psychological thrillers, there will always be supernatural tormentors of the week. Dolls, demons, shrouded old women, even swimming pools – they’re a staple source of scares. However, there’s a “smarter” set of entries in these genres. The best horror sneakily holds the mirror up to society, and, well, in recent years there’s been a wealth of real-life material to reflect. In terms of women’s experience, bodily autonomy has come under the spotlight in the likes of The First Omen and Immaculate, the Me Too movement found itself explored in Blink Twice, and 2020’s The Invisible Man went hard on the mental damage caused by an abusive partner.

Another new-ish entry in this sharp if not subtle sub-genre is Barbarian, which blended several pitch-black facets of female existence with wild narrative turns. Now the same producers of that film are uniting behind writer-director Drew Hancock for his feature film debut: Companion. And it’s another thematically loaded and twist-filled tale, with an additional layer of dark comedy.

For the record, much like Get Out, Companion is best experienced blind. You can watch the excellent teaser trailer, but cap your exposure there, as other marketing material tends to ruin the film’s key plot point, revealed 30 minutes into the runtime, and which completely reframes the movie.

If you do need some kind of spoiler-free synopsis, know that Iris (Sophie Thatcher) is nervous about spending the weekend at a remote lake house with her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) and his friends. Mostly, Iris wants to make a good impression, and at least develop a more amicable relationship with Kat (Megan Suri), who is inexplicably nasty towards her. Iris’s concerns are forgotten, though, as the intimate gathering takes a bloody turn. Bodies and betrayals pile up, best laid plans spiral out of control, and a horrified Iris refuses to follow the script.

You don’t want to poke at its rickety premise, and it overstays its welcome by a couple of scenes, which stoke up further distracting questions, but there’s still a lot to like about Companion. Surrounded by hefty two-hour-plus cinema releases, Companion is a lean and focused 97 minutes. The casting and performances are also strong, with Yellowjackets and Heretic star Thatcher once more satisfying audiences with a sharp-witted heroine who takes the fight to her enemies, at the very least slicing through their smug smiles with her verbal barbs. Quaid, meanwhile, who fills an everyman role in The Boys, gets to play a very different kind of “nice guy” here.

Without giving too much away, Companion does an excellent job of showing how ordinary and mundane can be just as dangerous as outright sinister, as an affable exterior hides troubling beliefs that can manifest in hurtful action. Considering how some people act face to face versus behind a screen, it’s a relatable insight, especially in the context of modern dating, where you could end up in a relationship with someone harbouring toxic, controlling opinions about gender roles and responsibilities. On that note, Companion features scenes of domestic abuse, both physical and psychological, so sensitive viewers should be aware.

It’s a clever move releasing Companion on the cusp of Valentine’s month, with the film acting as an antidote to the usual meet cute options. For anyone made to feel lesser by a partner, or, badly burnt by an ex, Companion delivers crowd-pleasing payback that is easy to get behind emotionally – even as your brain registers an increasing number of narrative red flags.

Companion is in cinemas from 31 January.