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Companion Review: What a Trip
Companion opens in theaters Friday, January 31.
Trailers and posters proclaim that Companion hails “from the creators of Barbarian,” but that’s misleading: Though it shares some of the same producers, Companion is actually the brainchild of first-time writer/director Drew Hancock. It’s fairer to say the two films are linked in spirit: Like Barbarian’s Zach Cregger, Hancock has a background in TV comedy, and it serves him well in a feature debut whose funny moments seamlessly mingle with the effectively unsettling and violent turns of a couples’ retreat gone lethally awry. As he guides a winning pair of lead performances from Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, Hancock joins Cregger, Jordan Peele, and Danny McBride in proving that drawing a laugh and prompting a scream are complementary skills.
The marketing for Companion has been more candid about what’s going on with Iris, the head-over-heels lovebird played by Thatcher. (If you want to go in fresh, skip to the next paragraph. Otherwise, click the box to the right.) Tap to Reveal
Iris sees Josh and their romance through rose-colored glasses, but it’s immediately clear something isn’t quite right with her recollection of their heightened meet-cute. The opening scenes of Companion evoke recent, twisty thrillers like Don’t Worry Darling and Blink Twice, with the implicit and ominous feeling of unseen manipulation at work. But Companion is ultimately the more satisfying film.
We know from Iris’ opening narration that her relationship with Josh very much isn’t built to last, and Hancock creates an electric sense of anticipation as we wait to discover Josh’s intentions. Companion is not the first film to flip Quaid’s innate charm and likability on its head, but it does so in its own highly compelling way. As he did in 2022’s Scream, Quaid once more proves how ready, willing, and skilled he is at playing a guy masking a disturbed psyche with a happy, upbeat face. He’s fully committed to Companion’s warped sense of humor, too, scoring one of the movie’s biggest laughs by showing off Josh’s orgasm face.
But it’s Thatcher who’s the backbone of Companion, and she’s excellent. Though she’s still in the early stages of her career, the Yellowjackets star is cleverly cast against type here: She usually plays edgier, brooding characters. (Of the two unfortunate Mormon missionaries of 2024’s Heretic, she’s the one who feels far more guarded.) The cheery 1950s-housewife vibe she gives off early on in Companion just doesn’t feel like it fits – which is absolutely intentional, because it highlights the cracks in the façade of Iris and Josh’s seemingly perfect relationship.
As the plot progresses, and Iris endures one bombshell revelation after another, Thatcher does a fantastic job showing what her character is going through. Iris has to deal with so much and quickly change her perception in massive ways as a result. Thatcher’s vulnerable, layered performance invites us to process what she’s feeling right along with her.
Sophie Thatcher is the backbone of Companion, and she’s excellent.
Companion also benefits from a superb supporting cast: Megan Suri (who was great in 2023’s It Lives Inside) effortlessly exudes attitude and confidence as Josh’s friend Kat, while Smile 2’s Lukas Gage and What We Do in the Shadows’ Harvey Guillén add some comic relief (and a little bit of sweetness) as Patrick and Eli, another couple joining the group for the weekend. (Though the chaotic events that unfold risk dangerous upheaval for them as well.) As the gang’s older host, Sergey, the more seasoned Friend oozes an appropriate level of decadent slime.
With all they do (and don’t) have in common, Companion doesn’t leave the same impact the delightfully macabre Barbarian did. It’s not particularly subtle with its themes about standing up for yourself and not being used by a supposed romantic partner. But it’s still a strong debut feature for Hancock, who shows he’s able to tell a story like this in a highly engaging and entertainingly vicious manner.
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