Companion (2025)

The film trenchantly satirizes 21st-century romance while delivering gory genre thrills, with clever plotting, sympathetic focus on the AI protagonist’s existential plight, and effective staging of kills as sight gags.

The dark techno-farce mixes AI and dating anxieties in a slick, violent lark with pace and verve, hinging on Iris's compelling journey of sentience and survival amid twists. It offers witty empathy and date-night thrills despite occasional logical shortcuts.

The critic finds it a smart horror with surprising hidden depths and a gleeful tonal mash-up. It singles out the biting comments underneath the glossy surface and the many surprising directions for praise.

The critic calls it this year’s M3GAN in a wickedly fun AI horror. It singles out the cathartic and darkly funny exploration of gender dynamics and control for praise.

The film is an enjoyable sci-fi horror-comedy that updates Stepford Wives themes to critique commodified relationships and incel culture through Iris, a sentient robot companion. It features strong performances, especially from Thatcher, effective comedy, and some tense moments, though it doesn't fully maximize its horrific or thematic potential.

The film is a bracingly grisly romp that takes aim at overcontrolling boyfriends and entitled man-babies. It is pulpy, bloody fun with a luxe backdrop and generous body count, though it isn’t breaking new ground.

Hancock's debut cleverly satirizes male dominance and AI anxieties through a deranged date movie that keeps viewers guessing with unpredictable spirals. It's smarter than similar films but less profound than Ex Machina, delivering control and execution-dependent thrills.

The dark comic thriller uses a juicy science-fiction premise about robotic lovers and questions why such a species would create AI in the first place. Thatcher’s performance toggles between uncanny and natural with wonderful delicacy.

Sophie Thatcher gives a standout performance as the robot companion, but the film is otherwise overfamiliar and facile, with easy twists lacking shock value and superficial satirical takes on relationship dynamics.

The tonally jumpy mix of horror, comedy and social commentary exposes the male owner’s dark side through a sex-bot who turns aggressive. It veers between the comic and visceral with Barbie-bright colours and stage blood.

The critic describes a darkly mischievous horror comedy with a feminist thrust that juggles genres nimbly. It singles out Quaid and Thatcher's superb turns and the blood-soaked pay-offs for praise, while noting the script is never quite as funny or surprising as it could have been.

The witty dystopian satire begins on strong form with excellent work from Thatcher but descends into violence and runs out of ideas after the initial setup. It is a lesser film because of the shift to gory excess.

The critic finds the film slips into exhausting clichés and is a frustratingly rote AI apologist film. It singles out the cliché premise and lack of differentiation from other robot sympathising thrillers for complaint, while noting some jokes about robot fucking.

The review finds Companion entertaining if inconsequential, buoyed by solid central performances, and notes that it becomes sprightly and surprising in its second half as a noir-ish chase with humour. It praises the cast’s awareness that it is all just a bit of bloody fun.

The critic calls the film a timely, unsubtle but wildly entertaining take on the rogue robot genre with lashings of inventively bloody kicks and wry riffs on AI. Sophie Thatcher’s standout performance as Iris is singled out for praise.

The critic calls it a deliciously twisted, ingenious fast-paced horror-thriller with mordant humor and sly satirical commentary on romantic power dynamics. Strong praise for the performances, especially Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid.

The fast-paced horror-comedy surprises with twists every few minutes as a lakeside getaway turns into a battleground of gender dynamics and technophobia. It cycles through genres with logical rigor and warped fun, centering on a robot girlfriend's awakening.

It is a mean, entertaining romp with clever construction, sharp comic timing, escalating violence, and strong performances, particularly from Thatcher; the film prioritizes fun over deep ideas.

The critic hails it as the first great film of 2025, a funny, fast-moving horror-thriller with meticulous craft, excellent world-building, and a standout performance from Sophie Thatcher. It entertains with twists and surprises while balancing relationship themes without becoming overly preachy.

Pete Hammond describes it as a deliciously fun new AI flick that mixes elements from The Stepford Wives, M3GAN, Her, and Barbarian into a smart sci-fi/horror/noir/comedy hybrid. He praises the twisty plot that goes beyond expectations and the strong performances, especially Sophie Thatcher's.

The film succeeds as a sharp, suspenseful and hilarious blend of tech/AI anxiety and modern dating woes, with a well-paced thriller narrative and strong ensemble led by Sophie Thatcher. The critic highlights its unique fusion of familiar elements into something distinctive and its surprisingly tender take on love and control.

The critic calls it a witty and twisty dark comedy revenge fantasy that delivers a satisfying twist on The Stepford Wives. They single out Sophie Thatcher's warm and empathetic performance as the standout element.

The critic finds it an entertainingly twisted and unpredictable sci-fi horror that remains fun even if you know the twist. They highlight the script's clever expectations-playing and the leads' strong comic timing and physical performances.

The review calls it a devilishly clever horror comedy about one-sided relationships, praising the screenplay's twists, balance of genres, and performances by Thatcher and Quaid. It highlights the film's satisfying storytelling and humor.

The critic finds the film a fun comedic horror with sharp wit and strong performances, particularly from Sophie Thatcher as Iris and Lukas Gage as Patrick. It leans more into comedy than horror and raises some interesting points about control and patriarchy but feels a bit unsteady and overly reminiscent of similar movies.