Movie Scene: Love can be murder!

“F rom the people who brought you ‘The Notebook’’ – that line, which appears in the opening credits of ‘Companion’ does two things. Firstly, it conjures up the lovey-dovey, rain-soaked romantic drama of Nicholas Sparks who authored the novel and had a hand in the subsequent film. Secondly, the phrase does absolutely no justice whatsoever to ‘Companion’ which couldn’t be further from the Ryan Gosling/Rachel McAdams weepie, loved by so many of the fairer sex.

Pro-tip for anyone with designs of seeing this film: Do not watch the trailer beforehand. With that warning in place, I’ll therefore be scant in plot description.

We open on a shot of Iris (Sophie Thatcher) wandering Stepford Wives-like down a supermarket aisle where she bumps into Josh (Jack Quaid for a Sparks-esque meet). Fast forward months later and the now loved-up couple are off to a get-together with friends in a house deep in the forest owned by Sergei (Rupert Friend). Also, there are Kat (Megan Suri), Eli (Harvey Guillen) and his boyfriend Patrick (Lukas Gage). During the stay, a murder occurs, setting off a series of events which could mean that not everyone will survive.

That’s it – that’s all you’re getting about plot.

Written and directed by Drew Hancock, ‘Companion’ might be one of the best films of 2025 so far. Drawing in elements of ‘S1mone’, M3gan’ and ‘Ready Or Not’, ‘Companion’ is absolutely great fun.

It does take a while before Hancock begins dropping breadcrumbs of hints about what’s unfolding, which only adds to the tension of the piece and keeps the audience on their toes. And he keeps the audience guessing with some very tight, twisty plotting.

‘Companion’ is bloody and tense with a liberal dose of dark humour to cut through it all. It’s also a biting, incisive social satire about relationships, controlling coercive partners, ownership and how some partners choose to fight back.

In terms of performances, both Thatcher and Quaid are on top form. Thatcher does a lot of the heavy lifting; going from subservient girlfriend to a woman taking her rightful place with ease and gives a lovely evolving performance. Quaid flits from likeable, slightly sad, doofus to menacing, displaying the Quaid charm inherited from famous dad Dennis. Of the rest, Guillen and Friend are best.

At a taut 97 minutes, ‘Companion’ is surprisingly good.