We have the feature film debut by Drew Hancock in Companion, which has been the talk of the town over the last few weeks ahead of its release. The film stars Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher and hits theaters on January 30. Of course, the biggest question is, does the film match the hype it has been getting? I share my review and let you know if it’s worth checking out in theaters.

The Companion hits theaters on January 31

A weekend getaway turns bloody and violent when a subservient android that’s built for human companionship goes haywire.

“From the producers of Barbarian” will always bring a smile to my face and make me want to see a movie. The buzz around Companion has been ramping up as people have seen it. I walked in with little to no knowledge about the film as I have avoided trailers, and you should, too. 

Drew Hancock carefully crafted a thriller that balances the idea of men’s need to control a relationship, a calculated murder scheme, and the dangers of AI. But what brings it all together is the brilliant comedic undertone of his writing. 

On the surface, the idea is that a man purchases an AI-generated woman who he can control to do what he wants when she wants, and how he wants. The “doll” is simply built to pleasure its owner in every way possible. Enter Josh, a charming, good-looking guy who is set to take Iris to a cabin to meet up with his friends for a little getaway. Quickly, we realize there is more to the trip than meets the eye, but I won’t dive into any spoilers. 

Josh is played by Jack Quaid, who is slowly becoming one of my favorite actors and delivers yet another incredible performance. The writing of Josh is what blew me away because what starts as a character you like slowly evolves into this vial and deplorable person. As Josh turns the tides into this villainous role, Quaid shines. Quaid delivers one of the best villainous performances I’ve seen in a movie in quite some time. I absolutely LOVED him in this movie and would love to see him sink his teeth into a serial killer-esque role in the near future.

Opposite of Quaid is the remarkable Sophie Thatcher, who is becoming a staple in this thriller genre after an excellent performance in Heretic. She plays the robotic doll Iris, and like Quaid, the writing only improves within each act, and Thatcher has quite a few strong line deliveries in that third act. She and Quaid were great opposite one another. As for the rest of the cast, Lukas Gage is becoming one of those actors who pops up in a movie, and you know he is bringing something to the table. Harvey Guillen and Megan Suri are fantastic.

I can’t compliment the team behind this enough for making this a crisp hour and a half. We live in a generation where movies are hitting the medium of two hours for every movie, and it causes them to drag. This has a lot to say, and many genres are balanced, but it does it effectively and at the perfect time.

Is Companion worth watching?

Overall, Companion is the first must-see movie of 2025. It is a brilliant psychological dark comedy that raises the bar within each act. A delightful ensemble led by the dynamic duo of Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher and a razor-sharp script makes this the first great movie of the year. This is the type of movie you will want to rewatch because you may miss things the first time.