Knock on Wood

Finding fresh, original voices in the world of genre filmmaking is not easy, especially in an industry that is constantly tripping over itself while chasing the next big trend. BoulderLight Pictures, the indie production company behind Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman of the Hour and the upcoming Paul Rudd/Tim Robinson comedy Friendship, has proven they understand how to preserve a director’s vision while not compromising the integrity of the work. Most of their projects, including those mentioned above, are incredibly strong directorial debuts that not only establish the filmmaker’s unique voice while providing whatever genre they service with a fresh take on tired conventions.

Their biggest breakout was Zach Cregger’s Barbarian, a twisty dark comedy that ruled the Halloween film season of 2023. Cregger entered a first-look deal with BoulderLight and New Line Cinema, which includes his next film (Weapons) and a new thriller from emerging filmmaker Drew Hancock: Companion.

I was lucky enough to see Companion over two months ahead of its release date, and I am happy to report it’s excellent. I knew nothing going in (I hadn’t even seen the rather spoilery trailer, which is to be avoided at all costs), and that is an experience I encourage you to replicate when this opens nationwide later this month. Some films benefit from a little foreknowledge, but Companion might actually be hindered by it; without spoiling anything, it’s a genre film that takes more unexpected turns than you would expect, but all of those twists and reveals feel completely organic. Companion is at its most entertaining when you surrender yourself to the wonderful chaos.

Sophie Thatcher, who recently brought the house down with a sharply subtle performance in Heretic, stars as Iris, a quietly alienated woman who goes with her boyfriend Josh (The Boys star Jack Quaid) to a remote lake house with their friends. Lukas Gage (The White Lotus), Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), and Rupert Friend (Pride & Prejudice) round out the cleverly constructed ensemble. It’s a chamber piece, mostly bound to one location, and that’s part of what makes it fun.

Companion taps into cultural issues made more prevalent by the dominance of the internet (specifically values held by terminally online incels, who believe they’re oppressed by society because of their inability to find a romantic partner), but it also delves into the metaphorical psychology of emotional abuse. Like Barbarian, this movie wears these themes on its sleeve and approaches them tastefully through a genre that’s become adept at tackling such issues.

Texture notwithstanding, Companion is absolutely hilarious. It manages to be darkly funny and genuinely twisted while not lapsing into overbearing cynicism, and that’s where the rotation of reveals finds its success. By subverting audience expectations, the film establishes a tone that, especially on paper, is ridiculously hard to maintain, and Hancock not only manages it but sticks the landing with one of the most satisfying endings I’ve seen all year. It’s the sort of thing that gets me ecstatic about the idea of making movies.

Companion is true genre fare, a clear creative vision packed with deliberate social commentary and backed by an incredible cast playing in a register just above reality. It’s an empowering story about control and impostor syndrome that always verges on frenzied chaos before being yanked back to its emotional anchor. It’s exhilarating, and I had the time of my life. See it with a crowd. Go in blind. You won’t regret it.

Companion opens in theaters on January 31.