The film opens with Iris (Sophie Thatcher)—donning pastel headbands and outfits imbued with a retro aesthetic—joining her boyfriend, Josh (Jack Quaid), whom she is endlessly devoted to, on a weekend retreat to a secluded country house owned by the enigmatic but obviously licentious Sergey (Rupert Friend). However, in the setting of this spacious, white-walled modern compound, there is a sense of fear and unknown that lingers in the crevices of the shots, anticipating something. It turns out that Josh’s pristine and unquestioning girlfriend is a robot programmed to compliment him and offer sex on demand. Like a Barbie doll, she arrives packaged with an included wardrobe and even got a supermarket meet-cute programmed into her, which was selected off a romcom list.
Companion is a movie that embodies the feminist slasher genre and kills toxic misogynistic men who mask their entitlement behind a façade of the ‘good guy’
This disgusting dynamic adds its own commentary on consent, objectification and the sex doll market. Quaid, who has also previously portrayed another incel loser boyfriend in Scream 5, plays the role of the manipulative and conceited man well. But Iris reclaims her body and says to Josh, in a brilliantly hitting line: “Your days of controlling me are over.” That line is memorable, joining another moment in which Iris crisply critiques her sociopath boyfriend’s mini appendage.
Companion is a movie that embodies the feminist slasher genre and kills toxic misogynistic men who mask their entitlement behind a façade of the ‘good guy’. The film is executed well, and those who would desire a rom-com version of Don’t Worry Darling are sure to enjoy the performances from Thatcher and the ensemble cast. It’s a charm from its opening sequence for horror fans and a probably a nightmare for Elon Musk.
One final key epiphany I had after the movie that became immediately clear, though: Iris should have done worse.