Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Smart, surprising robot movie with gore and swearing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Companion
What's the Story?
In COMPANION, Iris (Sophie Thatcher) is nervous about going away for the weekend with her boyfriend, Josh (Jack Quaid). She wants to make a good impression on Josh's friends Kat (Megan Suri), Eli (Harvey Guillén), and Patrick (Lukas Gage). When they arrive, they're surprised to find a sprawling lakeside house that's owned by the mysterious Sergey (Rupert Friend). The friends drink and dance, and everyone seems to be having a good time, despite some tension between Kat and Iris. But the next morning, Sergey has been murdered, and it's revealed that one of the guests is actually a companion robot. From there, things spiral further and further out of control.
Is It Any Good?
While it's not exactly a horror movie, this wily romp has elements of sci-fi, gore, and sly humor, as well as some wild surprises. Despite some occasional clunky plot mechanics, it's highly entertaining. Even though the characters sometimes do silly things, and there are inconsistencies within the confines of the story, there's also an underlying smartness in Companion that holds everything together.
Writer-director Drew Hancock, making his feature debut after a career in television, establishes a crisp tone that balances crafty storytelling with the sense that just about anything can happen at any time. Things really click when the movie starts exploring relationship dynamics, ridiculing the assumption that one person in a couple must be subservient to the other, and poking fun at power plays. (The movie lands on the idea that those who seek to dominate are really trying to compensate for some deficiency.) Otherwise, Companion moves incredibly well, finishing up at just 97 minutes, with a terrific, funny, and empowering final image. It's a rare twisty movie that doles out its secrets neatly and doesn't fizzle out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Companion's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? Funny? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What does the movie seem to be saying about the dynamics between romantic partners?
Do characters demonstrate positive communication? How does it affect Eli and Patrick's relationship?
How is drinking depicted? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
If you had your own companion robot, what would you do with it? How would you adjust settings like "Intelligence" or "Aggression"?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 31, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : February 18, 2025
- Cast : Sophie Thatcher , Jack Quaid , Harvey Guillén
- Director : Drew Hancock
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros. Pictures
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Robots
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout
- Last updated : March 27, 2026
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