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Kelaru & Fulton rating: ★★★½
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
How can a distributor let the marketing team spoil a major plot twist right on the poster? And the trailer isn’t any better.
This is a sharp, well-executed sci-fi thriller that works best when the audience knows as little as possible. I went in completely blind, but as soon as I saw the poster at the cinema—unavoidable, really—I had an idea of what was coming, which took some of the thrill out of the experience.
Just in case, here’s a SPOILER ALERT. If you haven’t seen the film yet, I strongly recommend watching it first and coming back after.
Still here? Alright.
The first 20 minutes follow Iris (Sophie Thatcher, Yellowjackets) and Josh (Jack Quaid, The Boys), a couple deeply in love, as they head to a remote lakeside cabin owned by shady Russian businessman Sergey (Rupert Friend, Homeland, Hitman).
It starts as a familiar setup, but something feels off the moment they arrive, especially in how the other guests treat Iris. Except for Sergey, they are openly dismissive and condescending, making her feel like an outsider. At first, the film cleverly leads us to believe they’re just arrogant rich kids, mocking her beauty and her seemingly strong relationship with Josh. It’s a relatable kind of social discomfort—like being the odd one out at a party where everyone knows each other, or sitting through a family dinner where it’s not your family.
Then, Sergey makes his move. He tries to sexually assault Iris by the lake, but she fights back, stabbing him. In shock, she rushes back to the house, expecting Josh’s support—only to be met with rejection and blame.
And then comes the twist: Iris isn’t human. She’s a companion robot, property of Josh, unknowingly part of a scheme to murder Sergey and steal his fortune.
This moment should have hit me harder, but thanks to that poster, I had been waiting for it. I knew she was either a vampire or a robot. My co-reviewer on my YouTube channel, who went in completely 'unspoiled', had a much better experience with the reveal.
Even knowing the twist, the film remains strong. As Iris processes the truth, she refuses to accept her programming and begins fighting back, evolving beyond her intended purpose. The action sequences are gripping, but beyond that, there’s a deeper reflection on human nature. Unlike her creators, Iris is free of biases—she’s simply trying to survive. Meanwhile, the humans, supposedly the ones with agency, seem programmed by their greed, blindly following their instincts like machines. Their only goal is to 'switch off' Iris and escape with the money.
The cat-and-mouse dynamic is tense and well-paced, with some great surprises along the way. The direction is confident, the cinematography precise, and the action choreography feels like a spiritual successor to Ex Machina. In fact, it’s easy to imagine this as the tragic fate that awaited Ava after escaping in that film.
The one thing that feels underdeveloped is the relationship between Iris and Josh. At the start, their love seems deep and genuine, but after the reveal, the film doesn’t explore it enough. Josh barely hesitates before turning against her, becoming a one-dimensional villain. It would have been far more compelling to see him struggle with the idea of destroying someone he once loved, even if she wasn’t human. Also, nice to see the attention to detail - Iris is an anagram for Siri, which is very fitting.
Despite that, Companion is a fantastic sci-fi thriller—especially if you can avoid spoilers.