‘Companion’ – A twisted Valentine’s tale

It’s a simple story: boy meets girl, girl falls for boy, and they live happily ever after. The story gets a little more complicated when the girl in question is not human, but rather, an artificial girlfriend made up of plastic, metal, and a submissive AI mind. Companion imagines a world where AI is so advanced that they live side by side with human beings, getting caught up in violent shenanigans just like you and me.

Companion is the latest in a recent slew of AI-focused horror movies, taking a real phenomenon and applying a realistic lens with a flair for the dramatic. It’s not as though robots are strangers to fiction, but Companion offers up a heroine in its cybernetic creation – one you’re meant to root for, even as she evolves to take a life.

The alternative would be to root for any of the other characters in Companion, who are mostly awful. If they’re not blatantly deplorable, their ineptitude makes them prime candidates for this slasher movie’s chopping block. They’re also depraved in a way that’s sure to hit close to home for many. Even without such comparison, Sophie Thatcher as Iris is endlessly endearing – even as she embarks on a killing spree.

The most horrifying part of the film isn’t the killer robot, but rather, the world of helplessness it presents. The movie features advanced technology, but by and large, it’s mostly familiar, suggesting a society that has lost its survival edge, relegating instincts to an app on their phones. The very existence of Iris forecasts a dark and gloomy future long before the slashing starts. The movie posits that the end brought by AI doesn’t stem from military misuse or billionaire blunders, but rather, the idiotic initiative of an ordinary man.

The film is most impressive when you’re paying close attention, yet that’s also where it falters. Blink and you might miss moments like Iris’ insistence on thanking a self-driving car – irrelevant to the story, but deeply meaningful for her character. At the same time, following the thread of its twisty narrative too closely may leave you feeling like you’re waiting for the movie to catch up. Tonally, Companion is a joy to watch, funnier than you might expect, and with Sophie Thatcher’s exemplary performance, it’s a romantic horror-comedy perfect for Valentines everywhere.

Rating: Half Price

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.