‘Companion’ Preview: Rewiring the AI Horror

From the creative minds behind “Barbarian” and the studio that brought “The Notebook” comes “Companion,” a genre-bending tale of love, technology, and self-discovery. Written and directed by Drew Hancock, the film combines elements of sci-fi, horror, and dark comedy while simultaneously turning all of the genres's classic tropes on their heads. “Companion” will premiere in theaters nationwide on Jan. 31, 2025.

“Companion” follows Iris (Sophie Thatcher), an AI companion, as she navigates a weekend at a secluded lake house with her human partner, Josh (Jack Quaid), and his friends. At first glance, it may seem like a familiar story, as recent years have certainly seen their fair share of movies centered on artificial intelligence: A robot is designed to help and serve humans, the robot goes rogue and wreaks havoc, and the humans have to find a way to stop and destroy the robot. However, Hancock’s film takes a decidedly fresh turn, exploring what happens in a story about “AI gone right.”

For Hancock, the film began with a rather simple premise.

“I’m going to tell a story about three couples that go into a cabin in the middle of nowhere, one of whom discovers they’re a robot, and all hell breaks loose,” he said.

But as he developed the narrative, his perspective quickly shifted. Initially, in classic sci-fi/thriller style, Hancock imagined Iris as the film’s antagonist. But one scene changed everything.

“I get to the moment where she’s standing outside of the house, and she’s worried about meeting [Josh’s] friends, and suddenly I’m relating to her on a level I didn’t think I was going to relate to,” Hancock said.

This instance of vulnerability reframed Iris as the emotional core of “Companion,” transforming her into a character viewers could empathize with despite her non-human nature. The film examines the alienation that Iris feels as she navigates a group dynamic where she is both central yet profoundly different from those around her. Her story truly begins upon her discovery that she is not human.

“[‘Companion’] is about finding what [Iris] has. She has control over herself and her body, and it’s this journey to get there,” Thatcher said. “Her whole world is completely shifted and she realizes that she can’t be with Josh. There’s self-discovery, and she starts finding her own free will and sets out to be independent.”

Each cast member offered unique insights into their respective characters that resist one-dimensionality, adding nuance and complexity to Iris’ story.

“[Kat and Iris are] both playing characters. It’s just that one of them is aware that she’s playing it, and the other one is completely unaware, so I thought that was really fun to dig into,” said Megan Suri as she expressed her excitement about playing out the journey of her character, Kat — one of Josh’s friends — opposite Thatcher.

Josh, on the other hand, undergoes his own transformation — in Quaid’s words, “peeling away all of his layers.” Quaid explained that the ability to negotiate this process with Hancock was one of the most fascinating parts of his role, noting that they filmed “Companion” chronologically.

“My process as an actor starts out very complicated, and then I try, kind of as I’m going with prepping and shooting, I try to simplify it as much as I possibly can. And I think I eventually landed at: Josh is a person who has almost never heard the words ‘I love you,’” said Quaid. “I think that he kind of has built up these artifices to get along with other humans and he really just has this void in his center.”

This interplay between characters and their evolving dynamics exemplifies Hancock’s approach to storytelling, which deliberately embraces unpredictability.

“You can do whatever you want, as long as it’s interesting,” Hancock said, reflecting on the creative freedom that shaped the film’s twists and crediting “Barbarian” for inspiring his willingness to defy traditional narrative structures.

As “Companion” gears up for its release this weekend, it promises to be more than a typical AI thriller. By flipping genre conventions and focusing on the emotional core of its characters, the film offers a fresh perspective on technology, humanity, and what it means to truly belong.

Hancock’s ultimate goal is to surprise audiences.

“I made a movie that I wanted to make…hopefully we subvert their expectations, and they just hang on and fully commit to the ride,” he said.

With its blend of humor, horror, and heart, “Companion” invites viewers to not only question what they expect from sci-fi, but to find unexpected humanity in the most unlikely places.

—Staff writer Lydia H. Fraser can be reached at lydia.fraser@thcrimson.com.