Sophie Thatcher & Jack Quaid in the science fiction thriller

“There were two moments in my life when I was the happiest. The first was the day I met Josh. And the second was the day I killed him. “

These lines are written and directed at the beginning of the new sci-fi thriller written and directed by Drew Hancock, and they also appear in the film’s trailer. It’s as good as anything ever written by Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler, and it immediately signals that companion will be a cut above your average suspenser.

The plot revolves around a delicious plot that the film’s trailer unfortunately wantonly gives away, making my presentation of a spoiler alert seem a bit unnecessary. But here it is anyway; The less you know companion Go in, the better. So if you want to maximize your enjoyment, it’s best to stop reading now.

Still here? So be it, but I’ll try not to give away too much. The film begins with Iris (Sophie Thatcher, Yellowjackets) and Josh (Jack Quaid, The boys) with a meeting in a supermarket. Fast forward to when they’re now a couple, spending a weekend with some friends in a remote cabin in the woods, which turns out to be the palatial digs of shady Russian businessman Sergey (Rupert Friend, sufficiently enjoying the thick accent). The other guests are Josh’s friend Kat (Megan Suri, It lives within), now Sergey’s girlfriend and longtime gay couple Eli (Harvey Guillén, What we do in the shadows) and Patrick (Lukas Gage). They all come in to enjoy the well-stocked house and the beautiful lake nearby.

That is, until Sergey turns out to be even worse than he initially seemed and sexually assaults Iris, who stabs him to death in self-defense. And then the real action occurs with the revelation in his safe.

The film gets loopier from there, with several complications arising, as Iris shows that she is no mere device but is more than capable of thinking for herself, at least when Josh isn’t programming her through his phone. The film delivers deliciously nasty surprises along the way as the body count continues to rise.

This is Hancock’s debut screenplay, with the film originally set to be directed by horror filmmaker-on-the-rise Zach Cregger, who is responsible for the surprise hit Barbarian (This film’s producers are also involved here), who graciously step aside to let Hancock take the helm. The Tyro director steps up to the plate beautifully, delivering an ingenious, fast-paced horror-thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat while also featuring generous doses of housed humor. As with the best films of its kind, companion Works at more than a surface B-movie level, delivering clever satirical commentary on the power dynamics in romantic relationships that more than a few viewers will be able to relate to.

Thatcher, a scream queen in the making (she also starred in 2023 The Boogeyman), delivers a great turn in the central role, fully convincing as both human and robot, and her artificial character’s struggle to survive compassionately. Quaid is equally good as the seemingly perfect boyfriend who emerges as the villain of the piece, investing his performance with a disarming charm, while Guillén and Gage support Sterling as a sweet couple whose relationship isn’t quite what it seems.

A potential sleeper hit that smooths over January’s reputation as a cinematic dumping ground, companion The writer and director marked Hancock as a true talent.