Written and directed by Drew Hancock, COMPANION is a gripping horror thriller that follows a group of friends on a weekend getaway to a remote cabin. Vanessa Porter, an upcoming guest of the Filmmaker Mixer Podcast, designed the costumes. Since I’m highlighting key members of the production team, I have to acknowledge Nancy Nayor and the entire casting team for their masterful work in selecting Jack Quaid as Josh and Sophie Thatcher as Iris. Their choices brought incredible depth and authenticity to the film.
COMPANION is an absolute must-see—so compelling that I refuse to spoil it by revealing too much! My introduction to this film came solely through its teaser trailer, and even that was enough to leave a lasting impression. This version of the trailer does NOT contain the same reveals as the OFFICIAL trailer. That being said, I highly recommend you avoid the Official trailer. This way you will also be surprised by the story as it unfolds by being unfamiliar with the specific details shared in the OFFICIAL trailer.
I watched COMPANION in order to become familiar with the work of costume designer Vanessa Porter. As such, I watched the movie with the intention of contemplating what the clothing choices meant for the characters. I noticed that Iris is costumed in such a way that I wondered if the feature was set in the 50’s. This theory was seemingly supported by a shirt Josh wore that also felt like it was the 50’s. The fact is, Vanessa did a tremendous job with the story she was helping to tell through her costume choices.
Although the characters were in a car that felt quite modern, I wasn’t certain of anything until the filmmakers zoomed in on a shot of a CD player. This was my first solid cue that we were in modern times. Little did I realize just how modern a time we were! Finally, I came to realize that the script to this story was being brilliantly executed.
This is a triumph for director Drew Hancock, who also happens to have written the screenplay. His collective work was amazingly-brilliant. Drew found wonderful ways to hit all the beats in story structure. It was immediately clear when Iris entered this new world, as we watched her grapple with the unsettling reality of her situation. Bravo to Drew for the many ways he managed to escalate the stakes and add twists and turns and pay offs. HOLY COW on the pay-offs! In summary, the screenplay was off the hook and Drew masterfully directed his terrific, original story!
Full disclosure, it is possible that I was swayed into loving COMPANION that much more because of Eli Born’s amazing cinematography. Shout out to Eli for those amazing shots of that gorgeous landscape – I can’t deny the overhead establishing shots looked very familiar to me! In fact, I watched until the end credits to confirm that the film was shot in NY, which is near the area I grew up. Nevertheless, those shots weren’t the only delightful cinematic moments in this film. There are many more and the entire filmmaking team deserves props.
For example, Rob Lowry, as music supervisor, was so clever with the judicious use of music that was meticulously placed at key moments in the storytelling. I would imagine Drew played a big part in that too but I bet so does Mia Riggins who as the music coordinator helped in various capacities. The fact that the specifically composed parts by Hrishikesh Hirway are used sparingly but cleverly truly elevated the visceral experience. The entire team elevated the storytelling. This also includes the foley team, who are too numerous to mention and the editing team which is small enough to give specific shout outs: Brett A Bachman and Josh Ethier, ACE. These two are absolute heroes in my book—the story they crafted through their editing skills was nothing short of phenomenal!
Josh is a man who has a companion that he takes to meet friends at a lake house. What happens during this trip is shocking and twisted but brilliantly executed. All I can say is, to quote a line from Jurassic Park: “Life finds a way”. But to be more specific, this film is about a woman, who deserves a good life and whose honesty never fails her. She’s sharp enough to navigate the truth without landing herself in trouble. I’m telling you this movie is a MUST see. And, I love love love, Harvey Guillen, Megan Suri, Lukas Gage who all play their characters flawlessly – especially Lukas who has a real opportunity to show range. I would be remiss not to mention Jabouki Young-White and Matthew J. McCarthy who really helped bring this story to a satisfying close. But in the end, it is truly Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher who are the real stand outs.
Melody Lopez, Producer, Filmmaker Mixer Podcast (posted by Madelyn, Correspondent, Filmmaker Mixer)