Companion: A Wild & Entertaining Tale of AI (Blu-ray)

The Film:

As artificial intelligence continues to be a hot topic of discussion, filmmakers have looked for new and interesting ways to explore its dangers & benefits. However, in order to find films of this nature that have been particularly effective, you have to go back a few decades to the earlier films of "The Terminator" & "The Matrix" franchises. That's not to say that all recent attempts have been bad, and indeed we've had some pretty good attempts in films like "Ex Machina" and "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One," but it seems like many that try to use AI as a plot device turn out to be clunkers like the recent "Afraid."

It would appear that the trick to making a successful movie of this type is to try and make it a fun experience, which is to say, include the message (but not too thick or heavy-handed) and entertain the audience while doing so. This is what writer/director Drew Hancock attempts to do with his feature debut "Companion," a film that delves into a use of AI that you wouldn't really expect to see brought up. The question is, will Hancock's attempt be one of the rare successful ones of late, or just another of the aforementioned clunkers?

The film opens with a couple, Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid), heading to a lakehouse to meet up with Kat (Megan Suri), Sergey (Rupert Friend), Kat's boyfriend and owner of the house, and couple Eli (Harvey Guillén) and Patrick (Lukas Gage). When Iris goes to visit the lake alone the next morning, she runs into Sergey, who attempts to sexually assault her, causing Iris to stab him to death. Iris tries to explain to Josh what happened, but he literally shuts her down, restrains her, and then explains that she's a companion robot controlled by his phone. We soon learn that there's more going on than a simple vacation, causing Iris to break free from her captivity, steal Josh's phone, and flee on foot. Josh and the others attempts to hunt her down, but Iris quickly learns how to alter her own controls, turning it into a more challenging hunt than they're expecting.

"Companion" is a rather wild ride that does indeed end up being one of the more engaging & successful films that seeks to present the possible dangers of artificial intelligence. It presents its commentary in a somewhat blunt fashion, but like the other notable entries in this area, it gives you a pretty captivating story to go along with it, and a fair amount of fun & entertainment along the way. It's one of those films where you just sit back and wait to see what crazy thing is going to happen next over the course of these brief 90 minutes, and then, before you know it, the wild ride comes to an end.

It certainly is a fun trip, though it was a somewhat odd choice to tell the viewer what was ultimately going to happen right from the start. Not that there's much doubt as to where it's headed by a certain point, but it still would've been better to let the film unfold on its own rather than spoil it right at the top. Luckily it doesn't spoil the film overall, for it's still fascinating to see how it plays out to get to that point, where it makes for a satisfying & cathartic conclusion.

Overall, "Companion" gets the job done. Its message may be a little on-the-nose, but as mentioned, as long as the film provides a good dose of fun to keep it engaging, the audience is likely going to have a good time. Its over-the-top nature only helps it further, grabbing the viewer's attention and not letting it go for the duration. When a film provides you with an experience that's both compelling and intriguing like this, it makes it a simple matter to recommended it for those looking for a quick bit of amusing entertainment. It may not hold a candle to the older classics mentioned up top, but it's great to see that someone can still do some decent work with such a timely topic.

Video/Audio:

"Companion" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality, featuring a picture that's sharp and clear throughout the film's entire 90-minute duration. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a fantastic job in both departments for the film's physical home release.

Special Features:

Companion: I Feel, Therefore I Am (6 Minutes): A featurette that explores the film's main couple.

Companion: Love, Eli (4 Minutes): A featurette that focuses on Eli and his companion.

AI Horror (5 Minutes): A featurette that discusses the emergence of AI and its role in the film.

Conclusion:

Drew Hancock's "Companion" may be a little blunt with its message about the dangers of AI, but with its compelling & intriguing story, which provides a good dose of fun & entertainment, it delivers a wild, over-the-top ride that makes its brief 90-minute duration fly by.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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