Companion: 4K UHD Review
Available on 4K UHD this week is Drew Hancock’s sci-fi thriller, Companion, starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén and Rupert Friend. Released theatrically earlier this year, I always felt that the reveal of Thatcher’s character being an android, should have been left out of the film’s marketing. The trailers should have made it seem like just a relationship gone to hell. It is a great twist in the movie that I think audiences would have appreciated more if they didn’t know it was coming. Still, Companion is a great deal of fun and has a really dark sense of humor.
The film begins with Josh (Quaid) and his girlfriend Iris (Thatcher) heading to a remote lake house to spend the weekend with their friends Eli (Guillén), his boyfriend Patrick (Gage), their friend Kat (Suri) and her boyfriend Sergey (Friend), who owns the house. The next day, Sergey tries to assault Iris, resulting her in killing him in self-defense. In a panic, Josh shuts Iris down (since she is actually a machine) by telling her to go to sleep. It is when Josh wakes her up, she learns the truth about her being a robotic companion and that all her memories (even meeting Josh) are pre-installed memory implants. All her emotions and intelligence can be controlled by an app on Josh’s phone. We soon learn that Josh and his friends have ulterior motives and there are a few other surprises that pop up. I don’t want to ruin it if you haven’t seen the film.
While we have had multiple genre films about the dangers of A.I., most recently Afraid, Subservience, and Meagan, the latest, Companion is by far the best of the lot. It’s not only well written and directed, but the characters are far more interesting. A surprising thing about the 2160p presentation is that it does not include Dolby Vision, even though the theatrical release did. Still, we have got a great looking film. From the beautiful interiors of the upscale cabin to the natural greenery in the woods that surround it. The Dolby Atmos track delivers on Hrishikesh Hirway’s impressive score, along with many of the more suspenseful scenes. A perfect example would be the chase through the woods and Iris’s final showdown. If you are a fan of Companion, I recommend picking up this release.
Bonus Features:
- I Feel, Therefore I Am –
- Could a robot have more humanity than a human? Delve into the complex relationships at the heart of “Companion” with Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher.
- Love, Eli –
- Harvey Guillén and Lukas Gage explore the fun, lighthearted relationship of Patrick and Eli. Explore their supposed first encounter at a costume party and how that develops into a unique love.
- AI Horror –
- Director Drew Hancock breaks down the fusion of slasher and sci-fi elements in “Companion” and how this is the perfect recipe for the wild and unexpected horrors humans can inflict upon AI.
By: Marc Ferman