Companion

A Promising Horror Debut That Shows Its Cards Too Soon

In an ideal world, moviegoers would enter films knowing only the title and director. This would allow them to experience a story without expectations regarding genre, performer appearances, or plot structure, enabling a narrative to unfold in the most organic way possible—much like reading a book. However, the highly commercialized world of film and television has fostered a marketing system in which trailers spoon-feed audiences every significant beat of a film, sometimes even revealing twists. When asked why this is the case, a marketing executive responded, “The audience wants to know exactly what kind of film they’re going to see.” Surprise, it seems, is no longer fashionable; instead, expectation and predictability reign. As such, one of the more clever twists in the recent film Companion (2025) was poorly concealed in its marketing. 

Companion follows Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) as they head to the American countryside for a weekend getaway with two other couples: the playful duo Patrick (Lukas Gage) and Eli (Harvey Guillén), and Russian oligarch Sergey (Rupert Friend) with his mistress Kat (Megan Suri). However, in the seclusion of their retreat, Iris grows increasingly uneasy as the people around her begin behaving strangely. 

Companion marks Drew Hancock’s feature directorial debut, for which he also penned the script. The American filmmaker delivers refreshing visuals with a pink pastiche aesthetic, blending horror and humor with a balanced sense of cheek. However, Hancock also exhibits some rookie insecurities, setting up an intriguing premise and mystery-box narrative, only to swiftly reveal its secrets and pivot into a generic slasher film. 

The film’s first act is reminiscent of The Invisible Man (2020), immersing viewers in the perspective of a young woman who notices small, unsettling disturbances—threatening but ambiguous enough that she hesitates to confront them. Both films use horror to explore toxic and controlling relationships, as well as the fear and entrapment that many people experience in such situations. However, while The Invisible Man sustained its air of mystery and unease throughout much of its runtime, allowing audiences to fully absorb its social message, Companion lays its cards on the table by the end of the first act. 

I hesitate to reveal the twist, despite its heavy implication in the marketing and early disclosure in the film. Suffice it to say, the reveal shifts the film’s thematic focus toward a subject that, while still relevant, has been extensively explored in recent discourse. The problem is that Companion ceases to function as a metaphor and instead becomes a blunt exposition of its message. Genre tropes are followed to a fault, and the film’s structure becomes increasingly predictable. This is an unfortunate dilution of the strong setup, as Hancock initially demonstrates a capacity for compelling suspense and audience engagement. Had he maintained the film’s growing sense of dread rather than pivoting to a more overt slasher format, the narrative would have been streamlined, the characters given greater depth, and the film’s impact significantly heightened. 

In its latter two acts, Companion devolves into a generic, if entertaining, genre hybrid—though revealing the second genre would be too spoiler-heavy. Additionally, the film struggles to justify its runtime, with characters meandering in circles and the plot unfolding at a trickling pace. At a concise 1 hour and 37 minutes, Companion feels as though it was originally conceived as a short film, further reinforcing the missed opportunity for a slow-burn buildup. 

Thatcher continues her steady rise to stardom following her breakout role in Yellowjackets (2021-) and appearances in original horror fare such as Heretic (2024), where she had a supporting role. In Companion, her first feature lead performance, she demonstrates an impressive range, conveying an unwavering devotion and near-supplication to Josh while subtly betraying doubt in her eyes. Quaid, on the other hand, plays yet another variation of the cliché role he has seemingly been typecast in, though this time, his trademark dorkiness is tinged with a greater sense of unlikability. The rest of the cast, all strong in previous projects, are unfortunately reduced to caricatures due to the film’s shift into a more conventional structure. 

In the end, Companion is an intriguing new horror film and a promising directorial debut. It boasts a fantastic opening act, but undermines itself by revealing too much too soon, ultimately spending much of its remaining runtime hammering a redundant message while relying on a generic and meandering plot. While its thematic pivot does raise topical (if somewhat tired) questions, any deeper reading into toxic and controlling relationships feels more superficial than profound. 

6.9/10