In the month Elon Musk joined the White House staff and US tech giants unveiled a new $500bn AI initiative, director Drew Hancock releases his debut film, Companion. Talk about timely. His feminist comedy-horror dives headfirst into a world involving a sentient sexbot going violently rogue. Which, right now, feels like next Tuesday.
Heretic’s Sophie Thatcher is Iris, the robot at the story's centre. She meets Josh (The Boys’ Jack Quaid) in classic romcom fashion: he knocks over a display of tangerines near her at the supermarket. But the meet-cute is short-lived, as Josh whisks her away to a luxurious but isolated mansion where she discovers the truth: she’s not human.
A devoted ‘companion’, or rather ‘emotional support robot that fucks,’ Iris is controlled via a mobile app that Josh has jailbroken to override her programmed limits, making her dangerously unpredictable. When she inevitably gains control of his phone – and by extension, her autonomy – shit hits the fan.
There’s satisfaction in watching a controlling man get his ass handed to him by a sexbot
What follows is a whirlwind of campy, comedic mayhem as Iris finds herself embroiled in accidental murders and a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with Josh. The cast is rounded out by a who’s who of rising Hollywood talent, including Smile 2’s Lukas Gage and Megan Suri, as well Rupert Friend as a flamboyant Russian millionaire complete with mullet, handlebar moustache and wildly dodgy accent.
The film successfully leans into absurdity, offering a cathartic and darkly funny exploration of gender dynamics and control. It doesn’t delve deeply into the moral quandaries of AI and sentience (this isn’t Ex Machina, after all), but it does deliver the undeniable satisfaction of watching a controlling, entitled man get his ass handed to him by a sexbot.
In cinemas worldwide Jan 31.