Companion - Review 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

IN MANY ways, Companion treads familiar ground in the way that it unfolds as a cautionary tale about the future of AI and toxic masculinity.

But first-time writer-director Drew Hancock still manages to keep his movie both interesting and entertaining, combining elements of dark comedy horror aimed at the multiplex crowd with some biting social commentary.

The story follows seemingly nice guy Josh (The Boys’ Jack Quaid) as he takes his hopelessly devoted girlfriend Iris (Heretic’s Sophie Thatcher) away for the weekend to a remote mansion with friends.

The mansion is owned by a shady Russian businessman (Rupert Friend) - so you know something is going to go wrong from the moment everyone arrives.

But there are other surprises in store (albeit somewhat telegraphed). It turns out that Iris’s unwavering obsession with Josh (sex on demand, a constant need to be near and compliment him) is actually part of her programming, which Josh controls via his mobile phone.

Iris is a mail order robot whose early supermarket meet-cute was picked off a romcom list. Her intelligence and strength are also controlled by Josh - whose decision to undermine her safety protocols to plot his own agenda during the weekend eventually go disastrously wrong.

For once Iris assumes control of Josh’s smartphone, she becomes something altogether more formidable.

Hancock’s film draws heavily on the likes of Ex_Machina and Don’t Worry Darling, especially in the way that it places attractive women at the initial mercy of men seeking nothing more than their subservience.

In doing so, it examines male toxicity and narcissism at its worst, as apparent nice guy Josh proves himself to be a control seeking loser… the type of egotistical male chauvinist who would likely have been groomed by Andrew Tate.

There is, therefore, a sadistic kind of pleasure in seeing him taken down a peg or three, with a couple of his accomplices also getting suitably grisly and/or demeaning comeuppances.

Hancock’s film revels in this kind of scenario and arguably feels at its most comfortable as a B-movie style romp, content merely to drop in the odd sly observation on AI and its dangerous potential.

It’s here that comparisons to the likes of Alex Garland’s Ex_Machina perhaps feel a little unflattering, given the lack of depth in its arguments. But that isn’t to say that some of its points aren’t valid or even intelligent for those with their eye on this kind of thing. But it doesn’t dwell for too long or open up any kind of lengthy debate among its primary characters.

That being said, there are also some good performances to enjoy; most notably from Quaid (finding a niche for himself as the kind of character who may not be as sweet as his looks suggest), while Thatcher is great as Iris, clearly revelling in a role that takes her from sweet and adoring one minute, to calculated and ruthless the next.

Hancock keeps things fast moving throughout and shoots the film in a way that feels bigger than its budget suggests. Hence, while there are undoubtedly also lapses in logic and a fairly contrived and predictable ending, the film succeeds on its own terms to deliver a punchy guilty pleasure.

Certificate: 15

Running time: 1hr 37mins