7 Reasons Companion's Reviews Are So Positive

The 2025 genre-blending psychological thriller-comedy Companion has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%. Companion’s positive reviews make it one of the best films of the new year in a month that has historically offered some of the least compelling new theatrical releases, such as 2024’s Night Swim (20% on Rotten Tomatoes) and the recent Mark Wahlberg villain effort in Flight Risk (24% on Rotten Tomatoes). Companion was written and directed by Drew Haddock (My Dead Ex, Mr. Pickles). A New Line Cinema production, Companion releases in theaters on January 31, 2025, by Warner Bros.

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Sophie Thatcher of recent Heretic acclaim leads the cast of Companion as Iris alongside Jack Quaid’s (The Boys) Josh and Harvey Guillén’s (What We Do in the Shadows) Eli. With a runtime of 1 hour and 37 minutes, Companion is a sleek and compelling mystery film with elements of the dark comedy-horror hybrid Abigail and modern whodunits like Knives Out. Alex Harrison of Screen Rant applauds Companion for avoiding “the trap of being too clever for its own good” in his 7/10-star review. Harrison credits Companion for making “entertaining use of its premise” and for its strong lead performances. For those reasons and others, Companion is getting great reviews.

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7

Companion Aims To Entertain, Not Complicate Its Plot

Companion Doesn’t Drown Inside Its High Concept

Companion succeeds in providing high entertainment value and not being overly concerned about delivering a complex or sophisticated plot. Many critics found that this entertainment-focused approach ended up making Companion instantly successful. The sci-fi-thriller-comedy blended narrative sticks to the initial roots of its engaging concept and does not try to be a different type of movie than it’s not. As William Bibbiani of The Wrap puts it, “The whole thing is freaky and funny as hell.” He also called the film, “a devilishly clever horror comedy about one-sided relationships.”

Companion leans into the horror genre with a body count that quickly adds up, adding more suspense to the project. Any film that combines several genres runs the risk of getting lost in its own plot, which is why Companion’s well-balanced and immersive story is such a feat. With some high-concept movies, viewers are tasked with paying extremely close attention, unable to miss an utterance of dialogue to follow along. Companion aims to invigorate its audience with an original idea but not overwhelm it to the point where watching it feels like a chore.

6

Campanion’s Ensemble Cast Is Exceptional

Lukas Gage, Megan Suri & More Are Great Supporting Characters

While the cast of Companion is highlighted by Quaid and Thatcher, supporting cast members such as Harvey Guillén, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Rupert Friend, and Marc Menchaca add a lot to the movie’s story and entertainment value. Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting writes, “It’s not the plot that keeps you guessing, but the vibrant ensemble cast committed to Hancock’s zany break-up movie.” Thatcher and Quaid are undoubtedly the main attractions of Companion but their performances are boosted with the help of the surrounding ensemble.

The energy between Quaid’s Josh and Thatcher’s Iris is tense and palpable, making up much of Companion’s primary intrigue and conflict. Their strong lead performances, mixed with a stellar supporting cast, add to the film’s sense of cohesion and pull the audience in rather than distracting them. The casting of the multi-talented Gage also adds intrigue given his wide variety of recent performances across all genres, ranging from the supernatural horror Smile 2 to the action epic Road House. Zofia Wijaszka of Nerdspin writes, “While the supporting cast is simply unmatched, Sophie Thatcher as Iris truly steals the show.”

5

Companion’s Dark Humor Is One Of Its Best Qualities

Many Critics Praise Companion’s Sharp & Witty Humor

The opening lines of Companion give viewers an idea of the twisted humor to follow throughout the film: “There’ve been two moments in my life when I was happiest. The first was the day I met Josh. And the second was the day I killed him.” Apart from being a compelling opening hook, these words quickly establish the premise and tone of Companion, setting up audiences for a sinister yet comedic story. Comedic elements aren’t added just for the sake of it but rather enhance the movie in ways that also make sense.

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Where To Watch Companion: Showtimes & Streaming Status

Find out where to watch Companion, a new movie starring The Boys’ Jack Quaid and Yellowjackets’ Sophie Thatcher that blends multiple genres.

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Jocelyn Noveck of The Associated Press writes, “The humor and tone could have go [sic] so wrong, but they didn’t. Kudos to Hancock for making the film crackle along wittily.” Linda Marric adds in her HeyUGuys review, “This isn’t your grandma’s rom-com… Get ready for sharp wit, dark humour.” Multiple top critics echo praise of Companion’s great humor. Georgia Evans of Time Out writes in her review, “The film successfully leans into absurdity, offering a cathartic and darkly funny exploration of gender dynamics and control.” Evans also called Companion “this year’s M3GAN.”

4

Critics Praise Companion’s Sleek Visuals & Smooth Pace

Companion’s Cinematography Elevates Its Already Strong Narrative

Not only is Companion fascinating to watch but it is also easy on the eyes, offering exceptional cinematography matched with cinematic lighting and settings. Christian Zilko of IndieWire writes, “There’s a lot to enjoy about “Companion,” from Hancock’s sleek visuals, smooth pacing, and twisty script, to Thatcher’s uncanny performance.” While good cinematography is a baseline expectation with all Hollywood releases, the visual style that writer-director Drew Hancock creates with cinematographer Eli Born works well to capture the various tones caused by the Companion’s revolving genre shifts.

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3 Movies To Watch Before Companion

Before checking out the upcoming film Companion, these three films are perfect way to get into the mood for the Sophie Thatcher-led horror.

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Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com also notes Companion’s great camerawork and impressive visuals. “Hancock doesn’t have enough drama to really pack the run time, but he comes armed with solid ideas, strong performances, and fantastic visuals.” Similarly, Allison Rose of FlickDirect writes, “Companion is a masterfully crafted thriller that blends AI-driven horror with a powerful story of empowerment, captivating performances, and stunning visuals.” Typically, if a film doesn’t work, it at least has its nice cinematography to fall back on. In Companion’s case, it’s just one of several features that contribute to its critical acclaim.

3

Companion’s Twists Are Well-Crafted & Satisfying

Unlike Some Thrillers, Companion’s Many Twists Pay Off

A general takeaway of Companion’s critical consensus is that a movie like Companion could have easily been a dud but a series of crucial storytelling choices made it a winner. With its ambitious concept, multiple genre influences, and relatively short runtime, Companion could have been just another throwaway sci-fi-horror with trendy actors that missed the mark in plot structure and character design. Writer-director Drew Hancock dispels these notions by delivering a well-written script with calculated twists and an experienced handling of tone and pace in the director’s chair.

With its ambitious concept, multiple genre influences, and relatively short runtime, Companion could have been just another throwaway sci-fi-horror with trendy actors.

Linda Marric of HeyUGuys writes, “Companion is a sexy, chaotic mess that will leave you questioning everything” with “enough twists to make your head spin.” An overwhelming number of twists is often not a great thing, as seen in recent thriller-horror efforts such as M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap, but when done correctly, it’s what thriller movies are all about. J Hurtado of ScreenAnarchy writes, “Hancock pulls the rug out from under us all and throws in new, delightfully unexpected twists to keep the audience at the edge of our collective seats.”

2

Companion Offers A Bold & Ambitious Concept With Satire & Wit

Its Black Mirror-Esque Elements Offer A High-Concept Cautionary Tale

Companion takes a tangible concept with a natural comedic edge and futuristic implications and delivers a well-rounded yet daring film that is equally entertaining and thought-provoking. The wit found throughout Companion’s dialogue contributes incrementally to the sharp satire of the film at large, which is handled with an impressive sense of authority for a first-time director. The strength of the initial concept in Companion seemingly gave Hancock enough of a foundation to build toward an ambitious climax that pays off in both story elements and greater philosophical inquiries without getting too intellectual.

Companion takes a tangible concept with a natural comedic edge and futuristic implications and delivers a well-rounded yet daring film that is equally entertaining and thought-provoking.

Companion’s conceptual boldness pays off as a timeless and lasting film that should impact audiences and inspire more than one viewing. Kristen Lopez of The Film Maven (Substack) writes, “Companion is one of the first great movies of 2025, and a movie that’s only going to get timelier over the subsequent years.” This level of satire and wit should find viewers who don’t have the chance to see Companion in theaters to seek it out throughout 2025 and beyond. Its futuristic story could also become a Black Mirror-esque cautionary tale that becomes all too real in the years ahead.

1

Companion Is An Impressive Directorial Feature Film Debut

Drew Hancock Has Already Made Viewers Excited About His Next Project

Next to the consistent praise of Companion’s sharp comedy, another common point among critics was how impressive the film is for its first-time feature-length director, Drew Hancock. While Hancock has worked on several projects as a writer, his emergence as a director makes him an exciting new voice in the expansive world of modern horror and its various genre hybrids. Eric Goldman of IGN Movies writes, “Drew Hancock’s Companion is a funny and clever thriller, carefully balancing dark moments of violence and unsetting reveals with a disarming sense of humor.” Hancock has already made viewers excited for his next project.

Peter Debruge of Variety writes, “Directing his first feature, Hancock brings an impressive degree of control to a project that’s entirely execution dependent.” He also claims that Companion is “smarter than M3GAN but sill no Ex Machina.” Frank Sheck of The Hollywood Reporter writes, “Companion marks writer-director Hancock as a true talent to watch” calling the film “a nasty treat of a thriller.” While Hancock has one project in development, a horror film titled My Wife and I Bought a Ranch..., Companion should leave viewers with things to dissect and discuss for quite some time based on its outstanding reviews.

Sources: The Wrap, Bloody Disgusting, Nerdspin, The Associated Press, HeyUGuys, IndieWire, Blu-ray.com, FlickDirect, ScreenAnarchy, The Film Maven (Substack), IGN Movies, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter

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