FILM REVIEW
COMPANION
Rated R
97 Minutes
Released January 31st
Companion is like an O. Henry short story, moving at a breezy clip, with twist upon twist upon twist, never giving away that what seems to be true isn’t. It pokes fun at human nature again and again, laying bare our human tendencies toward insecurity and overcompensation due to self-doubt, leading to hunger for control and quest for power. The interplay between personalities will leave you pondering existential questions. The trajectory of the characters and their quests, human or otherwise, will draw you into the back-and-forth sways of power among a group of misfits and will lead you to their moments of realization. Of course, all the above is part of real life.
However, here, it is condensed into this action-packed and emotion-laden story for you to have fun with while you sort it all out. All you need to remember is that what is real may be proven otherwise. The concept of re-set is explored in a humorous way. Humor pervades this movie even though it’s grounded in a horror-action story. The sets are simple but are key to the way the characters come to life. The dark greys of the interiors and the landscapes make the warmth of the faces stand out.
There are plenty of color-rich shots for your visual senses to binge on, including the fascinating visual expressions of the cast, blood-soaked clothing, and peaceful arboreal backdrops, while your logical mind tries to figure out whodunit and what’s really going on. The screenplay is skillfully written. Hints in conversation, or an item that would seem to be peripheral in one scene, may later become instrumental to the shock value in a later scene. The overriding presentation is grounded in humor. We get to laugh at ourselves as humans.
The ensemble made up of Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Rupert Friend, Magan Suri, and Harvey Guillen converge for a fun weekend at a house in the woods – so the story begins, suggesting we are going to be watching the antics of a fun weekend with friends. Then, a completely startling action is taken by the person you’d least expect. From then on, the 
unexpected takes over, with such rapid-fire timing, that you feel the roller-coaster of events grabbing your emotions and taking them to the top and speeding down.
Through it all, you’ll begin to get attached to these people. I won’t give details because the plot is best experienced with eyes wide open. Thatcher has the magnetism to steal the show, and Quaid, Gage, and the ensemble match her power minute by minute. Casting director Nancy Nayor did an extraordinary job with this film without needing to bring on big names, and director Drew Hancock pulled great performances from his actors.
Director Drew Hancock grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and is a successful writer on comedy TV shows; he wrote the script during the pandemic as an exercise to practice a different medium. After he finished the first draft, he realized he hadn’t put his personality into it, so he went back and added details in his own style. He took the script to producers, who loved it and were going to attach experienced director Zach Cregger. When Cregger saw the passion that Hancock had for his own material, he suggested that Hancock should direct it himself. Not having ever helmed a feature, it took him two days to summon the courage to embrace the idea. I believe he wrote and directed a comedic, timely masterpiece.
You will find the end uplifting, funny, or frightening, however, you choose to perceive it. On the surface, Companion seems like a hilarious horror-comedy, or perhaps it’s a really twisted rom-com. Its deeper concepts will come to haunt your mind long after you’ve left the theatre. I wish Companion could be under consideration for an Academy Award – well, maybe it will be a “sleeper film” for 2026 nominations.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
