A story of twists and turns, false memories and betrayal, “Companion” is a jam-packed movie  about a romantic, agreeable girl in a world that has set its sights on destroying her. 

Iris and her boyfriend Josh go on a remote getaway with some friends. The environment starts off tense, with Iris clearly making an effort to please the less-than-kind crowd. With a cast of characters who seem suspiciously hostile, she tried her best to fit in and leave a good impression. 

Her boyfriend’s instructions were simple: Smile and act happy.

After a series of off-putting interactions and sideways glances from Josh’s friends, things got bloody fast. Iris was forced to murder their billionaire host out of self-defense. When she went to her boyfriend, blood-soaked and frightened, he powered her down.

The first twist was revealed in trailers and other advertisements — Iris is a companion robot. Her sole purpose is to serve Josh and please the people around her. She seems fully sentient and self-identifying, but things like her aggression, intelligence and language can be controlled at the touch of a button on Josh’s phone. 

Iris was freaked out when she learned all of her memories, including the meet-cute grocery store scene that opened the movie, were chosen by Josh from a drop-down menu. This starts a sort of pseudo-revolt, where she must escape the plots of the other guests and find a way to get back to civilization.

Throughout the story, sinister motives are revealed, questions about the authenticity of robotic love are asked and much more blood is shed. 

Iris is played by Sophie Thatcher, who showed off her scream-queen chops in the show “Yellowjackets” and recent movie “Heretic.” Now, “Companion” gives her a chance to play a role at the focal point, with many pans on her shifting expressions and color-changing eyes. She is pleasant and funny but also commanding and resilient on screen.

Jack Quaid gives a less noteworthy performance as Josh but plays the role of misogynistic boyfriend effectively. 

Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén and Rupert Friend all play young adults staying at the house with Iris and Josh, each with their own reasons for being there. They are all stereotypical and generally flat characters but contribute what they need to and are an entertaining cast of characters.

The humor was reminiscent of movies like “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” a sort of mocking of Gen Z’s priorities and attitudes. This matched one of the intents of the movie: to provide a critique of gender and sexual politics. 

As the audience learns more about what it means to own a companion robot, the more it signifies about the weird people that would go through the effort to buy one. The level of customizability is off-putting and unnatural. We might have AI companions now, but it is nothing compared to the realism that these fictional bots provide. 

Iris’ boyfriend rejects the idea that she is just a personal sex-bot, but the implication is reiterated often.

The film generally throws doubt at the notion of “owning” any kind of romantic companion. The gender of the bots in the movie are both male and female, and both are exploited to similar capacities, so the gender messaging is a little more convoluted. 

In terms of power dynamics, Iris is never framed as victimized or helpless. She takes her fate into her own hands, and it’s her resourcefulness that foils the plans of her human counterparts. The unexpectedness of her survival is part of what makes the movie consistently charming. 

Throughout the movie, several more twists are revealed — more robots, a stash of money and unexpected recordings — which do a good job keeping the movie entertaining. Whenever the pacing did drag, the violence and suspense were ramped up again. 

The bloody horror aspect was certainly the most entertaining. The movie had aspects of mystery, sci-fi, horror and romance but also a constant flow of absurd and creative kills.

It closes with a satisfying and hopeful notion but doesn’t leave the audience craving more of Iris’ story. “Companion” was a fun watch in theaters but would be just as valuable as a date night at home once it hits streaming platforms.