There are many upcoming horror motion pictures set to hit the 2025 film calendar, and one specifically — Drew Hancock’s Companion — stars a pair of actors who’re actually sizzling proper now. Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher have develop into well-known for his or her roles on (for Quaid) The Boys, Scream and the upcoming Novocaine, and (for Thatcher) Yellowjackets and Heretic. Forward of its January 31 launch in theaters, critics have seen Companion, and they’re praising the performances — significantly Thatcher’s — on this enjoyable and twisty thriller.
Drew Hancock has talked about figuring out Sophie Thatcher was the suitable alternative to steer his film — and with its chilling trailer, it’s not laborious to see why — however it’s tough to suss out precisely what is going on on Josh and Iris’ weekend getaway. Early reactions to the Jack Quaid thriller implored moviegoers to keep away from spoilers, so relaxation assured, I gained’t be ruining anybody’s expertise right here! In CinemaBlend’s assessment of Companion, Eric Eisenberg charges it 4 out of 5 stars, saying that Thatcher boosts each side of this movie along with her excellence. He writes:
Companion is a movie made with darkish sensibilities, but it surely’s constructed to be enjoyable – delighting in toying with the viewers’s expectations and unfurling its ever extra ominous plotting with the solar shining and a palette of pastels. You’ll be able to’t assist however smile broadly because the film takes you without warning with the brand new layers which can be pulled again, and there’s a plethora of witty dialogue and sight gags, however what’s important is that it doesn’t undercut its drama and thrills with its comedy. Conversely, the humor opens the door to emotionally spend money on the protagonists and antagonists, which has the impact of boosting the stakes. When it will get to the heavier and scarier materials, you care.
Chris Evangelista of SlashFilm knew one of many film’s massive twists entering into (it’s apparently revealed in one among Companion’s later trailers), and he assures followers that doesn’t take away from the general expertise. Sophie Thatcher offers a killer efficiency in what Evangelista calls “the primary nice movie of 2025.” The critic charges it 9 out of 10, writing:
Companion is balancing difficult relationship points and questions of morality, autonomy, empathy, and compassion. … These questions pile up, and but, Companion does not get too slowed down in them. Let’s not get it twisted: this can be a sensible film, however in the end, the movie in the end does not need to ship a message, it desires to shock and entertain, and it does so with gusto. Once we get right down to brass tacks, this can be a pulpy B-movie with a shiny sheen, and I say that with love and affection.
Frank Scheck of THR is simply one of many critics saying that Companion is becoming a member of movies like final weekend’s field workplace winner One among Them Days in difficult the fame January has for being a “cinematic dumping floor.” Drew Hancock has delivered a “deliciously twisted” deal with of a sci-fi thriller, Scheck says:
The tyro director steps as much as the plate fantastically, delivering an ingenious, fast-paced horror-thriller that retains you on the sting of your seat whereas additionally that includes beneficiant doses of mordant humor. As with the perfect movies of its kind, Companion works on greater than a floor B-movie degree, offering sly satirical commentary about energy dynamics in romantic relationships to which various viewers members will be capable to relate.
Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting offers the film 3.5 out of 5 skulls, writing that Sophie Thatcher stuns as she continues her ascension to stardom, however there’s not a weak hyperlink to be discovered within the forged. Companion is very entertaining and sensible, even when it’s not attempting to reinvent the style. Navarro says:
Fortunately, Companion‘s sense of enjoyable doesn’t stem from the plotting however quite its unpredictable characters. The story adheres to a well-known trajectory that pulls from quite a lot of notable cinematic influences, and Hancock finds ingenious methods for the characters to react unpredictably to new developments. It’s by way of the characters, who all really feel three-dimensional and flawed in distinctive methods, the place the movie catches you off guard. Hancock performs their motivations near the vest, solely revealing them in full when and the place it may well maximize the drama and horror- and the horror doesn’t flinch from brutal, bloody violence.
Jarrod Jones of Paste additionally encourages audiences — spoiled or unspoiled — to get pleasure from its not-new however all the time vital message about discovering your identification in a poisonous relationship. Jones offers it a 7.0 out of 10 and writes:
To Hancock’s credit score, spoilers gained’t break your enjoyment of his messy romantic thriller (its newest trailer appears assured that’s the case, anyway), although figuring out sure items of data entering into does blunt its higher surprises. With that, I shall be … encouraging you to see it—as a result of Hancock’s vicious, buoyant, surprisingly candy film has, if not provocative, then cozily affirming issues to say about identification and the transcendent feeling of unburdening oneself from shitty one-sided relationships, and is usually a actual bop for those who’re prepared to play alongside.
Critics appear to be over the moon with Sophie Thatcher’s portrayal of Iris, and Jack Quaid is getting loads of reward as effectively. In reality, the film holds a 96% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. If this horror flick sounds intriguing and also you’ve managed to keep away from spoilers, you may need to get to the theater as shortly as attainable when Companion opens on Friday, January 31.