January and February have gained a reputation over the years as a movie dumping grounds - a two month window where studios release films theatrically that they have little confidence in, often for good reason. Now, there have been exceptions with movies being better than expected, but it’s a total rarity for something truly great being released during this time. Enter Companion - 2025’s first great movie, and we’re only a month in.
Now, for me to go into even minor plot details would be spoiling a lot of the fun, so I’ll keep this review as spoiler free as possible. Companion is a movie best experienced knowing as little as possible, because it’s chock full of surprises and twists that keep the plot moving in unpredictable directions. Even if you guess some of the major reveals, the movie is constantly throwing curveballs that keep the premise from growing stale. Above all else, it delivers a fun, clever and thrilling experience from beginning to end.
The cast is kept relatively small, but this ensemble is really strong. The characters aren’t all necessarily likeable, but they’re all so very watchable, making for some really entertaining dynamics. Sophie Thatcher is superb, and is quickly becoming a young star on the rise. This performance requires a lot of subtle (and not so subtle) shifts in emotion and mannerisms, which she executes flawlessly. Another scene stealer is Harvey Guillén. While I wouldn’t classify this movie as a comedy, there’s a lot of humour to keep things lively, and Guillén’s line delivery leads to some of the film’s biggest laughs.
Perhaps what the movie does best, is how it tackles some pretty serious subtext, but never does so in a heavy handed manner. There are themes surrounding toxic masculinity, abusive relationships and weaponizing feelings of affection. I wouldn’t call the film’s approach to these topics subtle, but it manages to remain light and playful without taking its themes for granted. Sure, you could watch and take the whole thing for face value, but it becomes so much more interesting and layered when you read between the lines.
Companion offers up a fun, thought provoking and tense thriller that stays a step ahead of the audience with every twist and turn. With a stellar little ensemble and its clever and inventive use of what could’ve easily been an overplayed premise, this is a January release worth braving the cold to see in theatres.
4/5