A supermarket meet-cute, days and nights bookended by an indescribable haze and a world that starts and ends with your boyfriend is the striking reality of Iris, Sophie Thatcher’s character in Drew Hancock’s sci-fi thriller film “Companion.” The film was released in theaters on Jan. 31 and takes on the topic of women’s roles in a patriarchal society.
The movie follows Iris accompanying her toxic boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) on his friends’ weekend getaway into the woods. We quickly learn that Josh’s best friend Kat (Megan Suri) is not fond of Iris, for reasons Iris doesn’t understand. Kat later confesses to Iris, in almost a sweet heart-to-heart between the only two women on the trip, that Iris makes Kat feel replaceable. After learning this, Iris cannot seem to wrap her head around why.
During the crew’s first morning in the fancy “cabin,” Iris finds herself alone and threatened by another house guest and Kat’s boyfriend, Sergio (Rupert Friend). With seemingly no escape, Iris, in a moment of panic, buries a knife into Sergio’s neck.
Instead of comfort and understanding from the group of friends when she explains what happened, Iris finds herself bound to a chair in the cabin’s living room with her boyfriend apathetically explaining to her that she is, in fact, not human. Josh tells her that she is a “companion” robot designed to dote on, serve and sleep with whoever their programming tells them to.
This realization rightfully sends Iris down an identity spiral that we watch unwind before our eyes in an empowering bloody mess. This realization from Iris is a clear metaphor for the near-universal moment when a woman realizes they’re in a relationship with a less-than-worthy man and decides to free themselves from their toxic boyfriend.
‘Companion’ is definitely a must-watch for those of us who like seeing women claw their way out of the pit the patriarchy puts them in.
Even the film’s only other female character, Kat, adheres to the misogyny that is taught through the patriarchy, surrounding herself with men and pitting herself against other women, both robot and human. In addition to misogyny, the film touches on the human need for control over the bodies and actions of others.
The performance from Thatcher is brilliant. She played a believable robot finding herself in the human world and fighting for her autonomy. Jack Quaid, who is known for playing toxic men on-screen, also delivers a good performance. He provided us with a stellar satirical take on men who put themselves first and believe they can control women, contributing to his character’s ridiculousness.
As a thriller, this film does a great job keeping you on your toes. Everytime I thought the fight was over, Iris found a new way to come out on top.
The premise of the film is not necessarily original. Personally, I was able to draw a lot of comparisons to the concept and themes of films like Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” or Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” Despite these similarities — and being written and directed by a man — “Companion” does a good job establishing misogyny, selfishness and greed as the clear villains of the story. It empowers its main female figure while pointing and laughing at its villains — personified by Josh and his friends. It is also a clear win for women using artificial intelligence as a storytelling aid. “Companion” leaves no room for speculation, the film is about a woman taking control of her life after being unknowingly suppressed by men for the entirety of it, period.
“Companion’s” undebatable message has earned it a spot on the “good for her” movie list — an unofficial category that celebrates women standing up for themselves despite acting immorally in the media. Other movies like this include Ari Aster’s “Midsommar” or the infamous story of Stephan King’s “Carrie.”
“Companion” is definitely a must-watch for those of us who like seeing women claw their way out of the pit the patriarchy puts them in. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end.
4/5
jhammer@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @companionmovie, Instagram
