Companion - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

It’s a damn fun time when you go to the movies and have your expectations be completely subverted. We’ve seen the robots run amok in horror/sci-fi films many times now. From 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Terminator to Ex Machina, the psychotic android or unstable artificial intelligence sci-fi sub-genre has been a staple for decades. The trope actually finds its roots in Shelley’s Frankenstein as man’s creation becomes its undoing in one form or another by giving life to the lifeless artifact. 

Because this sub-genre is reexamined time and again, it’s often difficult for most filmmakers to tell a unique and interesting story that's worth examining this theme. Writer/Director Drew Hancock delivers Companion, a film that falls well within that tried and true vein of psychotic androids causing mayhem. However, this film offers some clever twists and turns in its story while delivering thoughtful, prescient commentary all through the lens of a sinisterly dark sense of horror humor. 

A group of friends has gathered together for a nice weekend of fun. Good food. Good drinks. Beautiful location. The luxurious house is owned by the eccentric, if slightly shady, Russian millionaire Sergey (Rupert Friend), who shares the space with his girlfriend, Kat (Megan Suri). Eli (Harvey Guillen) and his longtime lover Patrick (Lukas Gauge) are the punctual pair. Josh (Jack Quaid) and his new girlfriend, Iris (Sophie Thatcher), are the ones who are late to the party. As the weekend rolls out, everything seems fine, everyone is having a good laugh. But not everyone is who they seem, and not everyone will leave the party alive.

Apologies for being intentionally vague about plot details beyond the basics, but Companion is one of those flicks I feel deserves to be seen as cold as humanly and non-humanly possible. That’s how I did it, more or less. I was in a theater that ran the trailer, but I have a knack for reading a book during trailers and have developed an acute ability to tune out what’s happening, so I did a pretty good job avoiding spoilers for this one. Conceptually, I knew it was about some kind of android-run-amok horror film, but that was it, and that was all I needed. That said, for those who did see a trailer for Companion, fear not, as the film lives up to that preview and pulls many more surprises out of its bag of tricks. 

Thanks to Hancock’s clever script, there are a number of twists and turns to our sordid story of man’s superficial dominance over artificial intelligence. It smartly explores reality versus fantasy as we aim to control the emotional state of the people we claim to love and respect. It's not a film necessarily about toxic masculinity so much as toxic relationships. It explores the ideas of personhood and whether something that thinks and feels is therefor real. It deftly ties in ideas of being human and humane and whether that trait is inherently subject to those who actually breathe air to live or if its a trait that can break the confines of programing. While it’s being thoughtful and examining all of these facets, it’s also a suspenseful and darkly hilarious film.

After Hancock’s efforts as writer/director, all credit needs to go to this cast. Once again, Sophie Thathcher shines, finding herself at the front of the pack for another terrific genre picture. Jack Quaid is proving again and again to be a charming lead with his dad’s unflappable, friendly grin and his mom’s glowing personality. Harvey Guillen and Lukas Gauge share some of the best, heartfelt moments of the film, while Megan Suri pours everything she has into being a bored and obnoxiously entitled personality. Rupert Friend dives into that thick accent with vigor for a funny but unsettling performance all his own. 

I thought I’d dig into Companion for a solid little horror/sci-fi flick. I got something a lot better than I expected. The script and direction are strong, letting plot beats unfold without telegraphing the twists and turns. The performances from the cast are terrific, playing to this generation of rising stars’ best assets. All around a great film that I have thoroughly enjoyed through multiple viewings.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Companion enters the 4K scene with a single disc 4K UHD + Digital release from Warner Bros./SDS. No Blu-ray disc is included. The film is pressed on a BD66 disc. The disc is housed in a standard case with identical slipcover artwork and loads to a static image main menu with basic navigation options.

Companion marks its 4K disc debut with a very pleasing 2160p HDR10 transfer. Given the location of a luxurious house set in the woods near a lake, the scenery and background catch a lot of visual attention. The furniture and interior styling offer a nice counterbalance to all of the outdoor scenes, giving us more of that nature versus artificial dichotomy within the story. Facial features, clothing textures, etc., are all on display. The film isn’t riddled with over-the-top CGI effects, so there’s nothing to skew the visual presentation or anything that’d just seem out of place. Most of the film takes place in daylight or well-lit interiors and looks terrific, giving primaries plenty of attention with healthy skin tones. When the story moves into the evening or darker locations, black levels are spot-on with nice shadow gradience, giving the image plenty of natural three-dimensional depth. I’d have been curious what a Dolby Vision grade could have brought to the fold, but as is, this is a lovely transfer that works perfectly for this film.

On the audio front, we have a nicely atmospheric and moody Dolby Atmos mix. There aren’t a lot of show-stopper, action-packed, immersive moments that’ll blow your speakers off the wall. Instead,2 this mix is more focused on subtlety by bringing you into the secluded location. Height channels might pick up a little object-specific effect here and there, but they’re mostly used to help carry the echoes of the tall ceilings of Sergey’s home or the wind rustling through the trees. No explosions or bullets wizzing overhead. Just mood and atmosphere. Likewise the surround sound spread along the front/center side/rear channels isn’t out to suck you into the action but maintain that focus of a natural-sounding location. LFE also keeps focus on impacts and heavy hits, giving the subs a nice little rumble. Dialog is clean and clear without issue. An Atmos mix might not have been altogether necessary for this film, but it’s abilities are well utilized for a track that isn’t focused on bombastic action.

On the bonus features side of the spectrum, this release is a bit of a wiff. The featurettes here are insightful and interesting but they’re so very brief. We’re getting barely fifteen minutes of extras for a film that certainly deserves more. 

• Companion: I Feel, Therefore I Am (HD 5:43)
• Companion: Love, Eli (HD 4:26)
• AI Horror (HD 5:09)

Companion was a damned pleasant surprise. A genre film that offers up new twists, thoughtful ideas, and themes while also delivering a fun, suspenseful, and darkly hilarious experience. It’s one of the few films in recent memory that wasn’t completely betrayed by the trailer. If nothing else, it blows past expectations for an exciting finale. Hopefully Drew Hancock has more tricks like this up his sleeve. On 4K UHD, the film shines with a lovely HDR10 transfer with a moody and effective Atmos audio mix. The only slight I have is the frustrating lack of expansive extra features. As is, I still have to call this one Highly Recommended - damn good movie, great looking transfer, great audio.