Companion (2025): A Queer Feminist Horror Thriller Review

Movies that make you question who really holds the power in a relationship are rare—and Companion leans hard into that discomfort with a grin. Drew Hancock’s feature debut layers dark comedy over a sci-fi horror thriller, asking what happens when love meets control.

Director: Drew Hancock ·
Release Date: January 31, 2025 ·
Runtime: 97 minutes ·
Rating: R / 15A

The six key facts below give you the essentials at a glance.

What is the Companion film about?

At its center, Companion follows Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) during a weekend getaway at a remote lake house owned by a Russian billionaire. When the billionaire turns up dead, the group—three couples in total—finds themselves trapped in a spiral of deceit, revenge and dark revelations. The film has been described by Where Y’at Magazine (New Orleans culture) as a hybrid of horror, sci-fi, comedy and perfect-crime-gone-wrong, refusing to sit neatly in any single genre.

Six facts, one pattern: the plot is built around a relationship twist that redefines the stakes of consent. Rotten Tomatoes calls it a “fiendishly clever contraption” that “thrillingly puts the demented into domestic bliss.”

The implication: what initially looks like a standard horror set-up becomes a meditation on how much control we cede to the people we love—and what happens when that control is taken back.

Is Companion a queer or feminist film?

Is Companion a queer movie?

• The film includes a gay couple, Eli and Patrick, among the retreat’s characters The Weekend Warrior Newsletter
• Reviews and marketing describe “queer love meeting terror” Queer Cinema Catchup (podcast)
• The film is coded as queer without explicit labeling, relying on subtext in Iris’s identity journey YouTube / Queer Cinema Catchup

Is Companion a feminist film?

• Feminist themes are examined through Iris’s character arc and her relationship with Josh, where power imbalances drive the plot Rotten Tomatoes
• One review describes the film as giving “sexual politics in a popcorn box, but with added stage blood” Rotten Tomatoes
• A dissenting review on Ambar Chatterjee’s Reviews calls the messaging “pseudo-feminist,” arguing that the robot metaphor (Iris’s intelligence setting as a stand-in for suppressed female autonomy) comes across as heavy-handed rather than empowering

The pattern: the film earns praise for raising feminist questions but attracts criticism for how it delivers them. The consensus among critics is that the intent is there, even if the execution divides opinion.

Why this matters: Companion arrives at a moment when audiences are actively debating how horror tackles gender politics. The film’s willingness to engage—however imperfectly—places it in a lineage of genre films that use terror to explore social control.

How scary is the Companion film?

Most reviews agree: Companion is more of a dark comedy about relationships than a full-bore horror movie. The Weekend Warrior Newsletter notes that the film has “slight horror elements, mainly in the gorier kills,” while Where Y’at Magazine calls it a “hybrid” that balances laughs with tension. The R rating stems from violence, language and some sexual content Rotten Tomatoes.

• Gory set pieces are present but infrequent
• Humor often defuses the tension before it becomes too intense
• Psychological unease (“the demented into domestic bliss”) replaces jump scares

The trade-off: viewers seeking a straight horror movie may feel underwhelmed, while those open to a genre-blend will find a smarter, funnier ride than most horror releases of 2025.

Was Companion a good movie?

Is the Companion film worth watching?

The critical consensus, per Rotten Tomatoes, is positive: “Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher serve a delightfully twisted feast with gusto.” Audience scores, however, are more mixed. On IMDb, some users call it “fun” and “entertaining,” while others find the plot predictable and the feminist messaging heavy-handed Ambar Chatterjee’s Reviews.

• What works: Sophie Thatcher’s layered performance, the clever premise, witty dialogue, and a tone that feels fresh among 2025 horror-thrillers.
• What doesn’t: Predictability in the second act, occasional tonal whiplash, and a theme that some argue is more satirical than deep.

“Thrillingly puts the demented into domestic bliss.”

— Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus (blurb)

“The messaging is ‘woke’ and ‘pseudo-feminist’.”

— Ambar Chatterjee’s Reviews (dissenting view)

The pattern: Companion is a film you’ll either admire for its bold blend of genres or find frustrating for the same reason. The target audience—viewers who enjoy horror with a side of social commentary—will likely have a good time.

Who wrote, directed, and stars in Companion?

Who wrote Companion?

Drew Hancock both wrote and directed the film, marking his directorial debut Horror Film Wiki. He previously worked as a writer on several short films and unproduced scripts.

Who directed Companion?

Hancock directed the project with producer Zach Cregger (known for Barbarian) attached IMDb. The collaboration brings Cregger’s experience in modern horror to a rookie director’s vision.

Who is in the cast?

• Sophie Thatcher (Iris)
• Jack Quaid (Josh)
• Harvey Guillén (Eli)
• Rupert Friend (Sergei)
• Lukas Gage (Patrick)

Sources: Vague Visages, IMDb, BookMyShow

The implication: Hancock’s background as a writer-turned-director shows in the dialogue-heavy, character-driven script. The cast—especially Thatcher and Quaid—carries the emotional weight, making the film’s ideas land even when the plot stumbles.

Related reading: **Call Me by Your Name: Plot, Age Gap and Meaning Explained** · **Good American Family Episodes: Complete Season 1 Guide**

For a deeper dive into the film’s queer and sci-fi elements, check out this Companion review on Oz Insight Lab.

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