Jack Quaid was right when he wanted his fans to not see the trailer of his upcoming film Companion. From the teaser released last year, fans made it out to be a romantic film starring Quaid and Sophie Thatcher of Yellowjackets fame. However, the new trailer has revealed that the film is far from a love story.
Fans wanting the complete the experience should probably avoid the trailer and perhaps stop reading this right now. Because the trailer revealed that Companion has a horror and sci-fi twist to it. However, it also has some comedic elements to it and appears to be promising in its content.
Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher’s Companion has a sci-fi & horror twist to it
Don’t be fooled by the line “From the studio who brought you The Notebook”, when the trailer for Companion begins with a mention of New Line Cinema. While Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher do give off a Ryan Gosling-Rachel McAdams vibe at first, the trailer quickly shifts gears. After all, the creative team behind this film previously worked on 2022’s Barbarian.
Thatcher’s character, Iris, narrates that the two happiest days in her life were the day she met Quaid’s Josh and the day she killed him. As the trailer progresses, it hints at a romantic relationship between Josh and Iris. But just when viewers think they’ve figured it out, the trailer throws the second twist at you: Iris is actually a robot.
From the studio that brought you The Notebook, and the creators of Barbarian. ❤️🔪 #CompanionMovie tickets on sale now. Only in theaters January 31.https://t.co/CncjrsgcYx pic.twitter.com/jrBVgOlRy5
— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) January 8, 2025
Directed by Drew Hancock, the film will have Barbarian director Zach Creggor as one of the creative producers. Quaid shared with EW that it wasn’t a movie that relied on a big reveal. However, the actor earlier told THR that he would recommend his fans to stay away from the trailer probably due to the reveal. He further shared some hints about the premise of the film (via EW):
I love how the character with the most humanity is the robot in this story — it’s such a cool turn on several genres.
Hancock preferred that the twist remained a secret but shared that he understood that some details had to be revealed to “sell the movie”. He further shared that it took the opposite route from films like M3GAN or Subservience, sharing, “It’s not A.I. gone wrong, it’s A.I. gone right.”
The budget of the film is probably not too high and it has every chance of recouping its budget if the premise works well with the audience.
Companion’s early reviews are out and critics seem to love the film
Brandon Davis, former ComicBook.com critic and Phase Hero podcast host, wrote on X that Companion is a “total thrill ride.” He was one of the critics to recommended not seeing the trailer before watching the film. He shared that the film encompassed “loads of heavy & twisted adrenaline.” His review read:
Companion is a total thrill ride.
It’s a gripping concept, exploiting humanity (or lack thereof) in humans, with a nonstop pace and great battle of man vs machine, literally. Loads of heavy & twisted adrenaline.
I went in having not seen a trailer or anything and loved it. pic.twitter.com/ars2VXxfEz
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) January 8, 2025
CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg also recommends going in blind for the film to experience it at its best. In his post on BlueSky, he called it a “super rad and clever original horror film.” He showered praise for the performance of Sophie Thatcher, whom he deemed a brilliant scream queen, thanks to her earlier film Heretic. He shared:
Companion is one of those, “The less you know going in, the better” movies. That being said, it’s a super rad and clever original horror film, and while the whole cast is great, it’s particularly amazing to see Sophie Thatcher further establish herself as a brilliant scream queen. Coming in January!
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg.bsky.social) 19 November 2024 at 10:18
SlashFilm’s Bill Bria also got to see the “twisted, hilarious, perversely romantic” movie much before its release. Bria has a unique compliment for Companion, mentioning how the film will impact the horror genre this year. He wrote on X:
Twisted, hilarious, perversely romantic, a treat for the eyes and ears…I know I’ve said that 2024 was a banner year for horror, but if COMPANION is any indication, 2025 could be even better. You’re gonna want to make it yours on Jan. 31st! @wbpictures #CompanionMovie pic.twitter.com/vr0j7phFB2
— Bill Bria (@billbria) November 19, 2024
Griffin Schiller of FilmSpeak praises the Barbarian crew who worked on this film and actress Thatcher’s performance. He called it “Cheeky & FUN” on X. He further shared:
#CompanionMovie is another thrilling WIN for the Barbarian crew! A twisted tale of toxic relationships & technology handcuffed to narcissists & their corrosive behavior. Cheeky & FUN. Sophie Thatcher continues to cement herself as a genre queen & star. GO. IN. BLIND! pic.twitter.com/NK6TnZjkYm
— Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller) November 19, 2024
Besides Quaid and Thatcher, the film also stars Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend. The film is scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters on January 31, 2025.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
