--- title: "Companion: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/companion/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/companion" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 20 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Companion (2025): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 20 reviews: 15 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like Companion, and they like it for the same reasons. The praise clusters almost entirely on Sophie Thatcher as Iris, the robot girlfriend, whose performance is singled out in review after review as the film’s chief asset, with Jack Quaid mentioned nearly as often. The reviews also credit Hancock’s script for its twists, for keeping a horror, comedy and satire hybrid on its feet, and for its jab at controlling men and modern dating. The reservations cluster on familiarity: several critics find the Stepford Wives premise and the sympathetic-robot angle overfamiliar, and The AV Club calls the twists easy and the satire superficial. The Times thinks it runs out of ideas once the gore begins, and Little White Lies is the outright dissenter, finding the whole thing rote. The spread is fairly narrow, with most reviews landing in the warmly approving middle and the loudest enthusiasm coming from American genre outlets rather than the British broadsheets. ## Slant Magazine — Seth Katz Rating 4/4. 28 January 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/companion-review-sophie-thatcher-jack-quaid/) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-01-30/companion-review-sophie-thatcher-jack-quaid-horror) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/companion-review/5201375.article) ## Time Out — Georgia Evans Rating 4/5. 23 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/companion-review-2025) ## RogerEbert.com — Peyton Robinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/companion-movie-review-2025) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/02/companion-review-drew-hancock-bloody-tech-horror-presses-the-button-marked-fun) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/companion-review-sophie-thatcher-jack-quaid-1236279638/) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/companion-review/) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating C+. 28 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/companion-review) ## Financial Times — Stephanie Bunbury Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/e63cbed7-4110-43af-ad0f-17d54fee7d91) ## Radio Times — Kevin Harley Rating 3/5. 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. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-5ikbp1/companion/) ## The Times Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/companion-film-review-h57ghxh08) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 3/2/2. 31 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/companion) ## Empire — Laura Venning 23 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/companion/) ## Evening Standard — Nick Howells 29 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/companion-film-review-sophie-thatcher-b1207427.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck 22 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/companion-review-sophie-thatcher-jack-quaid-1236114229/) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Rating Critic's Pick. 30 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/movies/companion-review.html) ## Vulture 31 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-companion-is-a-perfectly-mean-romp.html) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 9/10. 22 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1767388/companion-movie-review/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2025/01/companion-review-sophie-thatcher-jack-quaid-1236274581/) ## Collider — Emma Kiely Rating 8/10. 22 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://collider.com/companion-movie-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 29 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/companion-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a63505896/companion-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/companion-review-drew-hancock-sophie-thatcher-jack-quaid/) ## Film Stories — Maria Lattila Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/companion-review-stepford-wives-lite) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/companion.md