Companion

This will be shorter than most of my reviews, for the simple reason that this movie really, REALLY benefits from the element of surprise. There are a lot of twists and turns in Companion, and an in-depth review of the story, plot, themes, and character arcs requires dissecting them, and I don't want to be the one to ruin the experience of seeing this with no preconceived ideas for anyone I know. So, here's what I will say about it. I had an absolute blast with Companion. Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid were a fabulous pairing with great chemistry. At 90ish minutes, this went by in a breeze, but never felt rushed or like it short-changed any elements. The themes it touches on are explored thoroughly without being overbearing. The comedic moments are perfectly timed, and when it wants to get horrific and violent, it knows how and when to dial it up and doesn't hold back. Every time I thought "yeah, but wait", the movie was a step ahead of me and had an explanation. Companion threw a bunch of curveballs, and I didn't see any of them coming, and I loved every moment of it. I'm sure some will think I'm being hyperbolic or suffering recency bias in my score of this, but I can promise you I sat with this movie and thought about it. I tried to find something about it that bugged me or left me wanting or felt like a missed opportunity or unforced error. And I got nothing. Absolutely nothing. I saw this get a lot of surprise hype when it released, and it exceeded my expectations.