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Variety

“Companion” Movie Ranks #2 in U.S., Sparking Discussion on Horror & Technology

The horror film “Companion” performed steadily at the box office while opening up a conversation about the developing relationship of technology and humanity in society. Directed by Drew Hancock, the blockbuster stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid.

Sophie Thatcher as Iris in New Line Cinema’s “COMPANION,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

“Companion,” Warner Bros’ newest horror film, tells of a couple’s getaway trip to a lakeside estate gone wrong following the mysterious death of their billionaire host. After the companionship robot, Iris, begins to defy her owner and boyfriend, Josh, the couples find themselves in the middle of a frightening battle of survival.

Since the film opened in theaters on Jan. 31, it generated buzz at the box office, pulling in $4 million on its opening day and receiving a B+ from Cinemascore. It also received a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is projected to earn between $8 million and $10 million in its first week. 

“Companion” and other recent thriller movies have been produced at an ideal time when scary movies are in higher demand. According to the Washington Post, this genre has doubled its dominance in theaters from 4.87 percent in 2013 to 10.8 percent in 2023. 

As a part of their press tour, Warner Bros. invited 10 student journalists to interview the cast and director in a series of roundtables via Zoom. Some of the schools that were invited include Howard, Harvard University and Northwestern University. 

During the virtual meeting, actors Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, who play Iris (the companion robot) and Josh, were asked to share their thoughts on love and technology.

Thatcher discussed her feelings regarding playing a loving girlfriend in a toxic relationship.  

“I related so much to Iris,” Thatcher said. “I think we’ve all been in those relationships where you lose your sense of self because you don’t know who you are yet and it’s sad but it’s real and I saw myself in her.” 

Quaid, who plays an insecure and controlling boyfriend, also spoke on larger conversations about toxic masculinity and the issues a patriarchal society can cause for both men and women.

“Josh is a person who has almost never heard the words ‘I love you’ and I think this makes him do all the despicable things he did in the movie. He really just has this void in his center causing him to be the most insecure and worst version of himself,” he said.  

“Companion” has been described as a “social thriller,” which is defined as “a movie that uses symbolism to draw attention to a larger social issue or dilemmas” according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

Director Drew Hancock talked more about the rapid development of AI and how technology has tampered with people’s interpersonal skills. 

“For me, I wanted to play around with the characters in a world that could potentially be the future. This is a world where our phones look like a human and it blurs certain lines,” Hancock said. “Josh has been a victim of this and lost all sense of humanity. I never want to have answers to questions but I want the audience to think and consider it as a possible reality.”

Social movements such as #MeToo were a point of inspiration for another recently released social thriller “Blink Twice” which explores money, power and influence according to Hilltop columnist Victoria Pearson. It was produced by Zoe Kravitz and stars Channing Tatum, who plays a billionaire with a troubled past who convinces women to visit his private island. 

In both “Companion” and “Blink Twice,” viewers are pushed to think beyond the movie and consider what issues are trying to be conveyed through its symbolism.

Megan Suri, Lukas Gage, and Harvey Guillén who made up the rest of the group on the trip in “Companion” talked about the ability the movie gave them to portray characters that are usually seen as one-dimensional. 

Kat, who is played by Megan Suri and the only woman of color in the movie, spoke of playing a character that allowed her to embrace a role that women of color typically don’t get to play, while simultaneously alluding to broader issues of how women are viewed in society.

“One thing that attracted me to Kat was that we don’t see enough of these openly messy characters and I really leaned into that,” Suri said. “She has so much more depth than she initially led on and I feel that is reflective of how women of color can be viewed in society.”  

Lukas Gage plays Patrick, another companionship robot in the film, and Harvey Guillén plays his boyfriend, Eli. They made note of the importance of queer representation in films. 

“I think for Eli we see a lot of queer characters being portrayed the same, and just like with hetero[sexual] characters, we’re complex and layered and I think it’s nice to see different versions of that to represent all of us as a society. I like that we got to see all sides of a person with Eli,” Guillén explained. 

With a combination of romance, violence and horror, “Companion” cements itself as a modern take on a cautionary tale of humanity losing itself to technology and lack of human empathy. 

Copy edited by Anijah Franklin

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