Courtney Howard // Film Critic
COMPANION
Rated R, 1 hours and 37 mins
Director: Drew Hancock
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Harvey Guillén, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Rupert Friend
All the elements in a traditional horror, or romantic comedy, are fully laid bare in the opening act of COMPANION: three couples spend a luxurious weekend away together at a billionaire’s secluded lake house. Yet what ensues is no typical romantic or frightful fare. Writer-director Drew Hancock provides a sharp set-up for the planned events to devolve into deliciously wicked, unhinged and unpredictable mayhem. What follows in this story about a woman tapping into hidden reserves of smarts and strengths leads to ingeniously innovative twists and turns. Part darkly comedic satire, part high-concept horror, it’s all kinds of fun.
Docile Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her loving boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) are ready for a relaxing few days away with his friends. The pair have recently started dating and Josh thinks this is the perfect opportunity for his besties to meet the love of his life. Still, Iris is a bit apprehensive, suffering from a bout of nervous butterflies over saying or doing the wrong thing. While Josh’s stuck-up platonic pal Kat (Megan Suri) noticeably gives Iris the cold shoulder, his other friends Eli (Harvey Guillén) and chef boyfriend Patrick (Lukas Gage) warmly welcome her. And then there’s the philandering, wealthy Russian homeowner Sergey (Rupert Friend), who’s more than happy to entertain everyone, especially Kat, with whom he’s having an affair.
After a perfect evening of dining, drinking and dancing, things start to change in the sobering light of day. Iris makes her way down to the lake to swim and sunbathe. But her meditative peace is quickly interrupted by Sergey, whose mere skeevy presence makes her incredibly uncomfortable. He escalates the tense situation when he thrusts himself on her and, with no option left but to defend herself, she kills him with a mysterious switchblade she finds in her shorts pocket. Blood-soaked Iris attempts to explain herself to the group, nervously rushing through the details of what happened just moments before. She’s deathly worried about upsetting her precious beau, whose world she fears she has turned upside down. However, it’s he who sends her world into disarray when huge secrets come to light.
Hancock has a few fun tricks up his sleeve, the first surrounding the Big Reveal about Iris’ backstory. If audiences are paying attention, they’ll pick up on key phrasing through the dialogue and nuanced minutiae of the actors’ interactions. Even Josh’s nickname for Iris is a glaring clue. Hancock also gets the romcom-y “You lied to me?” trope out of the way early so genius can blossom. Rules of the world are easy to understand and, better yet, never broken to further the plot. They add tension and dastardly executed thrills to the cleverly crafted scenarios.
The auteur also masterfully shifts perspectives, alternating with deft intelligence from Iris’ POV to Josh’s so we can better understand his motivations, both internal and external. She has vivid recollections of their meet-cute being at a grocery store where he clumsily picks her up in the produce aisle (à la FRESH, another genre-bending flick), and he knows the reality, shown a little bit later, meeting her in his apartment under entirely different circumstances, while The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” plays on the radio (perhaps a subtle wink at Quaid’s mom Meg Ryan’s film CITY OF ANGELS).
Playing kissing cousin to an episode of BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE, Hancock’s directorial debut is a masterclass in tone modulation. He finds a blissful balance between the notes of horror, action, comedy, sci-fi and drama, defying genre and transcending its spoiler-y end of Act One gimmick (one the trailer and poster give away). The filmmaker thoughtfully explores the premise’s conceit, asking not only “what if this horrible thing happened to (who we believe is) the wrong woman,” but rather, “what if these terrible things happened to (who it’s discovered is) the right woman – one who potentially could outsmart, outwit and outrun her tormentors?” It’s entertaining to see Iris grow into her power, using her voice to gain the upper hand in scenarios ranging from evading capture in the wilderness to speaking to a local sheriff.
Hancock and company keep a watchful eye on a narrative centered on female autonomy through the aesthetics and soundscapes. Cinematographer Eli Born lulls us into a false sense of security with his lighting cues. Costume Designer Vanessa Porter cloaks Iris in demure ‘60s-styling, gifting her with an Audrey Hepburn meets STEPFORD WIVES influence. Production Designer Scott Kuzio and his art team decorate with hints of distrust. The modern manse clashes ever so slightly against our heroine, making us – on a subliminal level – question this gal’s identity and what’s about to transpire. Composer Hrishikesh Hirway’s compositions are reminiscent of ROSEMARY’S BABY, specifically “Iris’ Theme” hummed by Thatcher, augmenting the atmosphere with a similar sense of betrayal and bittersweet longing. Sound design also factors into the proceedings, clueing us into important props (what I lovingly term “Chekhov’s automated wine bottle opener”) and characters’ conflicts.
Thatcher and Quaid make for a terrific pairing, turning in champion-level work. Together they’ve got great chemistry, and we’re always riveted to their evolving relationship. Thatcher is exceptional, gifting her heroine with rich internality. She expressively emotes through her physicality, whether it’s a slapstick-infused scene (talking to the cop) or a serious silent one (the dinner table showdown). Quaid is delightfully slippery, playing into his inherited adorable charisma and mischievous Cheshire-cat grin. Guillén brings humor and heart to fruition. Gage shows off his dynamic range, oscillating from sweet to sinister (especially in a late scene recalling Robert Patrick in TERMINATOR 2). Suri is adept at gifting the picture with the quietest of arcs, transforming from unwavering to frazzled.
COMPANION is the perfect date night movie, guaranteed to provoke discussions long after the credits roll. It’s genuinely brilliant, exceeding expectations for not only films of its ilk, but also those that release in the early doldrums of January. Most importantly, it’s deeply layered, working as a timeless and timely treatise on technology and toxicity.
Grade: 4.5 out of 5
COMPANION opens in theaters on January 31.
