Companion review: An edge-of-your-seat thriller perfect for streamers

While Companion is an engaging thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you locked in until the final frame, its brief runtime and spoiler-heavy marketing beats make it more of an at-home watch than a must-see in theaters.

Relatively low-budget horrors have become all the rage of late as one simple hook is often all it takes for a project to go viral in the modern age. Look no further than the likes of The Invisible Man, Skinamarink, or Talk to Me as prime examples of smaller productions having larger impacts in the industry.

Although Companion is framed in such a way, this $10M outing is much more of a thriller than a horror, but it nonetheless falls under the same umbrella. There’s a central hook that’ll have you glued to the screen anticipating what comes next as its relentless plot blitzes through its 1-hour 37-minute runtime.

If you’re blind to what that hook is, your viewing experience will be all the richer for it. Thus, we can’t recommend enough that you steer clear of marketing material and dive right in, making this a perfect flick for a fun night on the couch, especially with a loved one. It’s a bit of a tougher sell for a trip to the cinemas though.

What is Companion about?

It’s tricky to answer this question without going against our advice. Your best bet is to go in completely blind and see for yourself, but if you must know, we’ll give you the basic, spoiler-free rundown.

In short, lovers Josh (Jack Quaid) and Iris (Sophie Thatcher) head to a “little cabin” in the woods for a weekend getaway with their friends and their partners. What transpires in the not-so-little, not-so-cabin-y locale is a chaotic blend of violence and humor as a grander scheme begins to unravel.

As mentioned, it’s a lower-budget flick with a smaller cast, so don’t go in expecting huge spectacle, but rather a well-refined thrill ride that’ll keep you guessing from start to finish.

A lighter shade of Black Mirror

Despite what the marketing material and the crew’s history would have you think, Companion isn’t much of a horror film, at least not in the traditional sense. There’s certainly plenty of tension and a healthy dose of slasher goodness thrown in, but on the whole, the film doesn’t take itself all too seriously.

There aren’t any real jump scares to speak of, nor is the subject matter ever presented in such a way as to genuinely chill to the bone, so do temper expectations if you’re hoping for a full-tilt horror here, Companion certainly isn’t that. Instead, it’s a lighter exploration of near-future romance and how self-absorption can be our undoing.

An excellent job from the tight-knit cast, especially Sophie Thatcher in the lead role, helps keep a sense of levity even in the bleaker moments. Jack Quaid turns in another love-to-hate-him performance as the arrogant, self-centered boyfriend, while Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, and Harvey Guillén are all great in padding out the group and adding some real stakes to the absurd scenario.

A perfect match… at least for streamers

We’ve been intentionally coy about the specifics of Companion’s plot as it truly is at its best when you have no idea what to expect. That’s what makes it an absolute perfect fit for streaming platforms, rather than cinemas.

It’s the end of a long day, you’re curled up on the couch and browsing through a Netflix or Prime Video, Companion pops up, intrigues, and you hit play. That’s the ultimate way to enjoy this project and I’m confident it’ll fly up the charts of any platform it lands on when the time comes.

In saying that, it is a bit of a tougher sell to get moviegoers to make the trip to the cinemas for this one. While it’s a fun enough time and certainly captures your attention, it’s nothing utterly groundbreaking and it is, at the end of the day, quite brief. While that’s a plus for streamers, as too many films these days overstay their welcome, it is no doubt a factor when weighing up increasingly costly tickets to purchase.

Companion review score: 3/5 – Good

While it won’t necessarily blow you away and leave you begging for a follow-up, Companion is a hell of a fun time for as long as it lasts. An intriguing concept that unfurls with many twists and turns to the point each scene will have you wondering where on Earth the plot moves next.

If you’re a fan of bloody thrillers, it’s absolutely one to keep on your list and watch when you can, but it’s tough to recommend you rush out to the cinemas and catch it right away.