GENRE | Sophie Thatcher Finds Romantic 'Companion'–ship

"The days of you controlling me are over."

New Line Cinema / BoulderLight Pictures

Veteran television writer Drew Hancock makes an impressive feature horror screenwriting and directing debut in his inventive romantic horror-comedy. Companion carefully employs our tech-savvy culture of our digital age as a contemporary metaphor for unhealthy romantic relationships.

Produced by Barbarian director Zach Cregger, the film stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid as seemingly idyllic young couple on vacation at a remote lakeview mansion with the latter's friend group (played by Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend) before something sinister happens. Hancock cleverly builds his genre-bending thriller to introduce little twists and surprises we vaguely see coming but are still delightful when slowly revealed.

As subversions of the "girl next door" and harmless "nice guy" archetypes, Thatcher and Quaid feel pitch-perfect as the glossy perfect couple on the surface before each of their actual demeanours are carefully fleshed out. We further get the impression the former's dutiful behaviour and lowkey obsession start to make more sense before the violence begins. Then the element of control, freewill, and independence come into play.

Companion uses classic genre tricks to subvert some smart feminist arguments about the power imbalance commonly found within many heteronormative gender dynamics in toxic romantic relationships. Thatcher and Quaid pull off the intricate details of modern "companionship" and its often imbalanced, sexist ills. It's supremely fun, delicious romp that crisscrosses different contemporary issues in an appealing, vaguely sci-fi-esque package not unlike M3gan.


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