In 2025, horror is a genre that’s not only surviving; it’s thriving. With films like Wolf Man, Presence, Heart Eyes, and The Monkey staking their claim on the box office, Hollywood has come to know one simple truth: horror makes money. As Valentine’s Day looms on the horizon, Companion, a romantic horror film from writer-director Drew Hancock, arrives just in time to shake up the season of love with a thrilling blend of dark humor, suspense, and biting social commentary. At first glance, Companion could be mistaken for just another glossy, big-budget date-night flick. The premise is deceptively familiar: Josh (Jack Quaid), a mild-mannered guy searching for love, finds a seemingly perfect woman in Iris (Sophie Thatcher). The two seem ideal for one another, with the kind of chemistry that makes it clear they’re in love. But early on, Hancock pulls the rug out from under us. The big reveal, held back for a tantalizing dozen minutes, is that Iris isn’t exactly human. She’s a highly advanced, fully customizable sex robot designed to cater to Josh’s every whim. From adjusting her eye color to modifying her personality, Iris is nothing more than a living manifestation of Josh’s desires, controlled with the ease of a smartphone app.

What could have been a mere sibling to the award-winning Her (2013) quickly morphs into a much darker beast. After a weekend getaway to a remote mansion with friends, things take a turn for the worse. Iris; whose perfection seems too good to be true, becomes increasingly alienated by the toxic dynamics of Josh’s social circle, which includes his ex-girlfriend Kat (Megan Suri), a sleazy Russian sugar daddy named Sergey (Rupert Friend), and the hilariously dim-witted gay couple Eli (Harvey Guillén) and Patrick (Lukas Gage). The film’s suspense builds in unexpected ways, as Josh’s manipulative grip on Iris begins to unravel. At its core, Companion offers a sharp critique of toxic masculinity. Josh, despite being portrayed as a charming, nerdy nice guy, is a walking red flag; a subtly manipulative character whose moments of discomfort after sex (when he refuses to cuddle or engage emotionally) signal a deeper unease that we, the audience, are quick to pick up on. Quaid’s portrayal of Josh is brilliant in its subtlety, as the character’s behavior grows more unsettling with every scene, eventually making him a perfect foil for the awakening of Iris.

Sophie Thatcher’s performance as Iris is nothing short of captivating. She shifts seamlessly between the role of a submissive object of desire and a self-aware entity, slowly becoming more human in her reactions. It’s a tricky balancing act, and Thatcher nails it, turning Iris into a character who is at once mechanical and profoundly emotional. The brilliance of Companion lies in how it allows us to sympathize with Iris; her pain and desire for autonomy are all too relatable, making her journey toward self-awareness the film’s emotional backbone. This is, after all, a film about the dehumanizing effects of technology and the ways in which it commodifies love. The film’s use of technology is both a clever narrative device and a reflection of our present anxieties about the future of robotics and relationships. While Companion doesn’t delve into the philosophical depths of Ex Machina or the ethical quandaries explored in films like Westworld, it’s an effective satire that critiques how modern dating, especially in the age of app-driven hookups, often reduces people to commodities. Josh’s treatment of Iris is a chilling reflection of the ways men can manipulate women (or machines) to fulfill their desires, without any regard for their autonomy or well-being.

Director Drew Hancock, in his feature debut, deftly blends suspense with dark humor. His script is sharp and filled with biting observations about modern relationships, but it’s his direction that truly makes the film sing. The house where the majority of the film takes place becomes its own character, a beautifully desolate mansion that amplifies the tension between the characters. Cinematographer Eli Born’s widescreen compositions are sleek and unsettling, while editors Brett W. Bachman and Josh Ethier expertly cut between moments of heightened drama and absurd humor, disorienting the viewer just enough to keep the tension palpable. The cast, too, is a delight. Lukas Gage stands out as Patrick, the oblivious, endearingly naïve boyfriend of Eli, delivering the film’s best lines with impeccable timing. Harvey Guillén, as the flamboyant Eli, brings much-needed levity to the film’s otherwise tense atmosphere, while Rupert Friend’s Sergey oozes sleaze with just the right touch of humor.

There are no true scares in Companion, but that’s not the point. This is a film about the discomfort of watching someone;human or machine,trying to break free from the shackles of their programming. The horror is psychological, rooted in the manipulation and control at play in Josh and Iris’ toxic relationship. Hancock doesn’t just make us root for the robot; he forces us to confront our own complicity in systems of control, manipulation, and exploitation. Ultimately, Companion is a twisted, darkly comic commentary on the future of relationships, technology, and gender dynamics. Hancock uses the sci-fi tropes of robotics and artificial intelligence to explore contemporary fears about control, autonomy, and love, all while keeping us laughing (and wincing) along the way. The film succeeds as a social commentary, but it’s also just a ton of fun, with great music, witty dialogue, and enough suspense to keep audiences engaged from start to finish. It’s a movie that understands what it’s trying to say; and has a blast doing it.

For a film about a robot designed to please, Companion delivers far more than expected, offering a riveting, darkly comic ride into the complexities of technology and love. It may not be as deep as some of its predecessors, but its thrilling and absurd take on the world of dating in the digital age makes it a standout in 2025’s crowded horror landscape. It’s an eerie and entertaining reminder that love, in any form, can be a terrifying thing.

 

WRITTEN BY: BRYAN KLUGER

By Bryan Kluger

Former husky model, real-life Comic Book Guy, genre-bending screenwriter, nude filmmaker, hairy podcaster, pro-wrestling idiot-savant, who has a penchant for solving Rubik's Cubes and rolling candy cigarettes on unreleased bootlegs of Frank Zappa records.

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