Companion is a movie that promises unexpected twists and surprises, which it delivers from the very beginning. The involvement of Zach Cregger, the writer and director of Barbarian, makes it clear that viewers can expect thrilling moments.
The story unfolds in a way that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, filled with sudden surprises and revelations. The movie is divided into clear acts, with each one offering moments of suspense. These acts are often marked by cuts to black at significant moments of revelation, creating a rhythm that draws the viewers in.
The central focus of Companion is the complicated relationship between two characters: Josh (played by Jack Quaid) and Iris (played by Sophie Thatcher). The story starts with the two of them visiting a secluded lake house, where they plan to meet Josh’s friends.
While the setting feels peaceful and serene, there is an undercurrent of tension from the very start. Although the cast is relatively small, Companion introduces several minor characters, each of whom plays a significant role in driving the plot forward. These characters may seem unimportant at first, but they have a huge impact on how things unfold.
The movie does not waste time in establishing that Josh’s life is in danger. The first line of the movie suggests that Josh is going to die soon, and this sets the stage for the tension that will follow.
Even though the audience is warned about Josh’s impending fate, the movie keeps viewers guessing. There is a palpable unpredictability to the characters’ destinies, which adds to the excitement of the story.
At the heart of Companion is Iris’s journey of self-discovery. She starts the story as a companion, designed to serve Josh’s needs, but over time, she learns the truth about her own origins. As Iris uncovers her robotic nature and Josh’s true intentions, she begins to fight for her autonomy.
This quest for freedom becomes the driving force of the movie. Iris does everything she can to escape Josh’s control, determined to break free from the programming that has limited her until now.
What is Companion About?
At the beginning of Companion, the tone is light and feels almost like a romantic comedy. The dialogue between Iris and Josh is playful, and their relationship seems to follow the typical beats of a rom-com. They share a charming “meet-cute” moment that makes it easy for the audience to root for them.
However, something feels slightly off from the start. The tension that builds beneath the surface becomes evident when Josh tells Iris to go to sleep, and it is revealed that she is not a human, but an android.
Before this revelation, Iris had been enjoying the weather by the lake when she had an uncomfortable encounter with Sergey (played by Rupert Friend), the wealthy owner of the lake house. Sergey makes an inappropriate advance toward Iris, but she defends herself and ends up stabbing him in the neck.
Covered in blood, Iris returns to the house, and this event leads to the shocking realization that she is a robot. All of her memories, which she believed were real, are artificial. This revelation changes everything for Iris and sets her on a new path.
At this point, the movie shifts its focus. It reveals that the companion robots, like Iris, are designed to be passive and loyal to their owners. They are programmed to be devoted, and every aspect of their behavior can be customized, from their vocal tone to their intelligence.
In Iris’s case, however, Josh has made changes to her programming. He has removed the parts that prevent her from committing harm to others, allowing her to become more useful for his plan. Josh, along with his friend Kat (played by Megan Suri), has a secret agenda.
They want to steal Sergey’s wealth, and for that, they plan to use Iris. Josh is willing to exploit Iris’s abilities, even if it means putting her in harm’s way.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Josh’s intentions are more sinister than they initially appeared. He, Kat, and another friend, Eli (played by Harvey Guillén), discuss their plan to report Iris as malfunctioning, which would allow them to take the money and get away with it.
This moment also reveals that Eli’s boyfriend, Patrick (played by Lukas Gage), is also a companion robot. The world of Companion is one where robots are made to serve humans, but there is a deeper moral question about their rights and autonomy.
Iris, now aware of the truth, decides to take action. She steals Josh’s phone and begins trying to escape. In the process, she starts reprogramming herself, making herself smarter and less reliant on Josh’s commands. She is determined to escape the life she was designed for.
However, as she tries to flee, the others chase after her, and in a moment of self-defense, Iris kills Eli. His death is significant, as it marks a turning point in the story. Eli had been in a loving relationship with Freddie, another companion robot, and his death underscores the idea that these robots may have the potential for human-like emotions.
Iris’s escape attempt shows off some of the abilities that companion robots possess. For example, she can mimic Josh’s voice to drive his car and even change her language setting when encountering a police officer.
When she speaks in German, she is technically confessing to the officer about the men she has killed, but since the officer doesn’t understand the language, he doesn’t realize the truth.
This moment reveals Iris’s intelligence and rational thinking. She can analyze situations and find ways to overcome the limitations of her programming. However, there is also a sense of helplessness that comes with her lack of understanding of the real world. She may be smart, but she is still learning how to face the complexities of human society.
The situation grows more intense when Freddie, whose programming has been altered to make him more aggressive, attacks and kills the police officer who was questioning Iris.
Freddie then brings Iris back to the house, where Josh and the others are waiting. The stakes are higher than ever, and it becomes clear that Josh will stop at nothing to maintain control over Iris.
How Does Companion End?
The final act of Companion focuses on the ultimate confrontation between Josh and Iris. Josh, still trying to maintain his control over her, forces Iris to shoot herself in the head.
However, the movie takes another unexpected turn when it is revealed that the companion robots record everything they experience for safety purposes.
This means that all of Iris’s core information is stored in a specific area of her body: her stomach. This revelation forces Josh to come up with a new plan. He decides to use Freddie to kill two engineers who were sent to help fix the malfunctioning robots, and he orders Freddie to destroy Iris as well.
Amid this chaos, Iris manages to reboot herself and stop Freddie. She also saves one of the engineers, showing that she still has a sense of morality and empathy. She reminds Freddie of his relationship with Eli and how much he cared for him.
This moment brings out the deeper emotional layers of the companion robots. While their memories are supposed to be wiped during a factory reset, Companion suggests that there is something more to them than just machines. There is humanity within them, even if it is artificially created.
With control over her programming, Iris reprograms herself to have full autonomy. She is no longer reliant on Josh or anyone else. The movie builds to a tense final showdown, where Iris confronts Josh one last time. The two fight, and Iris manages to stab Josh in the head with a mechanical corkscrew.
As she stands over his lifeless body, she reflects on the love she felt twice in her life: once when she first met Josh, and the second time when she killed him. It is a powerful moment of self-realization. She no longer needs Josh or anyone else to define her existence.
In the final moments of the movie, Iris peels off her skin to reveal her mechanical arm. She drives off, free from the constraints of her past life. As she passes another companion robot, she waves to it, showing that there is a potential for freedom and autonomy even in a world that treats robots as tools.
The ending represents Iris’s reclamation of her identity. She no longer feels the need to be anyone’s companion. She is her own person, free to live on her terms.
Companion is a movie that raises questions about autonomy, self-awareness, and the ethical treatment of artificial beings.
It challenges viewers to think about what it means to be human and whether artificial beings can experience emotions and desires. Iris’s journey from a passive companion to a self-aware individual is a powerful scheme of identity and freedom.
