The horror genre has been thriving for years, to the delight of fans like me. Some of the best horror movies to hit theaters recently have come from wholly original concepts, like classics from Jordan Peele and Ari Aster. One of the first new entries for the year was Drew Hancock's Companion (streaming now with a Max subscription), which I recently watched on a plane. And, I'm honestly offended that nobody told me how funny this one was.
Companion's plot twist changes things 1/4 of the way through the movie, revealing that Sophie Thatcher's Iris was a robot. After that, both the comedy and horror really kick off, with the pivots between the two resulting in the movie's 97 minutes really flying by. I heard great things about Companion, but I wasn't warned about just how hilarious it would be.
Companion Has Laughs, Heart, And Lots Of Blood
Up until Companion's ending is revealed, Hancock's script consistently brings the dark, gallows humor to the project. But, there are also some real stakes and feelings to be had throughout its run. As an audience we are instantly on Iris' side, but other characters like Lukas Gage's Patrick also manage to break our hearts. Good horror movies need an emotion-based story to anchor audiences, and that's another way that this film succeeds.
Of course, we can't talk about Companion's penchant for laughs without talking about the great Harvey Guillén. The comedic genius is best known for playing Guillermo in What We Do In The Shadows (streaming with a Hulu subscription), and his comedic timing and talent as an actor are on display as scene-stealer Eli.
The Cast Of Companion Kills It... Literally
Sophie Thatcher obviously deserves a great deal of credit, which she's given in CinemaBlend's Companion review. Anyone who watches Yellowjackets knows that she goes full out in horror settings, and she's able to bring a complicated humanity to Iris the robot. It's fascinating seeing how she adapts to her surroundings, and she's also got great physical comedy when Iris is being controlled by Jack Quaid's character, Josh.
As someone who doesn't sleep on planes, I always do try to catch up on new movies when I'm in the air. Watching a horror movie among strangers can sometimes be risky, as not everyone wants to see gore as they're walking down the aisle. But I'm so glad that I finally caught this movie, especially because it had my undivided attention on my way abroad. That part of the flight really flew by, as I laughed through the movie's violence and comedic bits.
I'm definitely looking forward to see whatever director/writer Drew Hancock has up his sleeve after Companion. I'm really hoping he signs onto an upcoming horror movie sooner rather than later. Hopefully, I hear about it if any hilarious horror/comedy flicks hit theaters as part of the 2025 movie release list.
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