How do you even start talking about Companion without giving the game away? Before we go any further, let me get something off my chest: a lot of people have become too spoiler-phobic. At some point, certain people decided it anyone and everyone element of the film counts as a spoiler. Perhaps it has something to do with how the now-faded Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken over the cinematic landscape and made spoilers such a big dealmaybe not. All I know is that people can really check themselves for what they consider spoilers. Even talking about the tiniest details about a movie can earn the ire of someone who loudly proclaims, “Thanks for spoiling things, jerk!” To be clear: I don't mean marketing-approved details—things that appear in an official synopsis or trailer - are not considered spoilers. If the studio releases these details in advance, it's obviously fair game. And yet... "Companion," the new horror film from writer-director Drew Hancock, presents me with an interesting, slightly sticky dilemma.

At the end of last year, the first teaser trailer for "Companion" dropped and immediately caused an uproar among fans of the genre. The images were disturbing, evocative and even shocking, all of which gave absolutely nothing to the film's story. It was a really exciting teaser - a perfect way to build excitement for a film. In my humble opinion, the teaser was so effective that the people at Warner Bros. could have stopped there and released the film without any additional marketing. But that didn't happen. Instead, as the release date approached, a a new "Companion" trailer has arrived. — gave her the game. To be fair, the trailer still plays things (mostly) close to the vest. And yet, it also reveals one of the biggest twists in the film. And part of me can't help but think that the movie would have played even better if this particular detail had been kept under wraps. At the same time, as I review the film now, I have to ask myself an important question: how much should I give here? It should go without saying that I strive to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible. And yet, the people in charge of marketing the Companion have already let the cat out of the bag.

So let me issue a friendly warning: given the film's official marketing, nothing I say here will be a spoiler. And yet, if you somehow avoided watching the latest trailer for "Companion," maybe go back now. Just know that Companion is the first great movie of 2025 - a funny, fast-paced, meticulously crafted horror-thriller with a killer performance from lead Sophie Thatcher.

As Companion opens, self-proclaimed "nice guy" Josh (Jack Quaid) and his girlfriend Iris (Sophie Thatcher) are headed for a weekend getaway in the woods with some of Josh's friends. Iris is nervous; she thinks Josh's friends don't like her, especially Josh's close friend Kat (Megan Suri). Other people on vacation include Kat's Russian boyfriend Sergey (Rupert Friend) and the loving couple Eli (Harvey Gillen) and Patrick (Lucas Gage, who was recently seen smashing his face in 'Smile 2'). While Kat does give Iris the cold shoulder almost immediately, and Sergei is vaguely creepy and menacing, Ellie and Patrick seem genuinely kind to Iris. Iris, meanwhile, is clearly completely devoted to Josh, almost obsessively so. She is not shy about confessing her love and treats Josh as the most important person in her world.

And there's a big reason for that: Iris is a robot under Josh's control. The movie keeps this detail under wraps for as long as possible, and again, I'm conflicted about revealing it here. But it's in the trailer, and it's kind of hard to talk about Companion without mentioning it. All that said, I will admit that knowing this big twist ahead of time (I saw the movie the same day the trailer was released) didn't hurt the movie. Indeed, there are subtle, clever clues to Iris' true nature sprinkled throughout the early scenes, and knowing the twist helps you spot them as the fun builds.

Iris has no idea that she's actually a love robot, the type of artificial girlfriend that creepy tech freak brothers dream about. She is completely convinced that she is a real person and doesn't realize that Josh can control her actions through an app on his phone. But all that is about to change in a big, disturbing way. After something goes very, very wrong (with bloody consequences), Iris is shocked to learn that her entire life has been a lie. She is not an independent human being - she is manufactured hardware. And her boyfriend Josh isn't her boyfriend - he's her owner. What's a highly skilled, highly powerful human-like robot with advanced artificial intelligence to do?

"A Companion" balances tricky relationship issues with questions of morality, autonomy, empathy and compassion. What do we as humans owe artificial beings that can seemingly think and feel? Are Isis's emotions and feelings even real? How "intelligent" is an intelligent AI? Do androids dream of electric sheep? These issues pile up, and yet Companion doesn't get too bogged down in them. Let's not get it twisted: this is a smart movie, but ultimately, the movie doesn't want to deliver a message, it wants to shock and entertain, and it does so with gusto. When we get down to brass tacks, this is a mushy B-movie with a glossy sheen, and I say that with love and affection.

Constantly funny and surprising, Companion is clever when it needs to be, but never fails to thrill. I'm purposely avoiding saying more about what's going on here, but just know that Hancock's script continues to make twists and turns that never feel cheap or unearned. On top of that, the writer-director does some great world-building here. Without resorting to awkward exposition, we learn everything we need to know about how Iris works, and within the logic of the film, it all makes sense. It would have been very easy for Hancock and company to take easy shortcuts to make the premise work, but Companion plays fair while creating its own sense of reality. In other words, this no-nonsense sex-robot movie feels about as believable as a sex-robot movie in vain can feel, and that's kind of impressive.

It helps that the cast is game, especially Thatcher, who is styled and fleshed out to be as appealing as possible here, while doing a fantastic job of making Iris feel like a fully realized character. We knows that when you come right down to it, Iris isn't a real person. And yet we can't help but sympathize with her and root for her at every turn. She is more human than human. Quaid, all gangly arms and goofy grin, is also quite good, playing the quintessential "good guy" who doesn't stop to think too much about his decisions.

With shades of Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, "Twilight Zone", Black Mirror, Gone Girl and even I Spit on Your Grave, Companion isn't shy about wearing its influences on its sleeve. And yet the film never comes across as derivative, often feeling fresh and invigorating, full of wild, laugh-out-loud energy that keeps you hooked and excited. Even at their darkest and bloodiest, this is a entertainment movie, and gosh, it was refreshing to have fun at the movies again. This is Drew Hancock's feature debut and he immediately established himself as a filmmaker to watch.

Would the Companion have been even better if I hadn't known the twist about Iris entering? I will never be able to say for sure. And yet, this foreknowledge certainly didn't hurt the film for me. Indeed, it ends up making Companion the type of film that's sure to be fun to revisit, so you can pick up on all the little hints and clues that are dropped early on, making the whole endeavor all the more enjoyable in the end.

January is often considered the dumping ground - the place where studios send movies to die. But "A Companion" is proof that the beginning of the year doesn't have to be reserved for forgotten trash and trash. I firmly believe I'll still be thinking about Companion even when December 2025 rolls around - it's just that good. Moviegoers often shout that they want fresh, original movies instead of more endless remakes and sequels. Well, there you are. A "companion" is exactly what you are looking for. Don't miss it.

/Movie rating: 9 out of 10

Companion opens in theaters on January 31, 2025.