March is Women’s History Month, so it is only fitting that it would usher in the arrival of “Companion,” the big screen debut from writer-director Drew Hancock, on streaming services. The first in a one-two punch of releases attempting to solidify Jack Quaid’s status as a leading man, “Companion” is the latest take on the subset of the horror genre exploring, in some capacity, the perils and pitfalls of female exploitation for male gain.
The film sets its stage in a format quite traditional to the average horror flick –– boy and girl meet in the grocery store, boy and girl hit it off, boy and girl take a trip with some friends to a remote lakeside cabin. Fresh off her scream queen initiation in “Heretic,” Sophie Thatcher stars as Iris, whose primary identifier can really only be as the girlfriend of Jack Quaid’s Josh, around whom her life seems to revolve.
Here, it becomes necessary to note that "Companion” is best appreciated without knowledge of its twist. That said, any such appreciation also necessitates knowledge of this twist, hence this article’s alignment with the film’s digital release rather than its theatrical opening –– go watch “Companion” on Amazon Prime, and come back better prepared for the spoilers ahead.
Quite early in the film’s first act, it is revealed that Iris does not just seem dependent on Josh, she is literally dependent on Josh. Because she was programmed that way. Because she is a robot. The product of a company called Empathix, Iris exists as a customizable female companion, created to fill a void of intimacy –– in every sense of the word –– for her male owner.
Her capacities as a docile, devoted girlfriend are controlled through an app, and thus easily capable of being manipulated for ill-gotten gains. Which, of course, Josh takes no time –– under 25 minutes –– in doing. The first big reveal arrives when Iris stumbles in, soaked in blood and holding the knife that spilled it.
This sort of early shift on a film’s axis is not unique to the horror genre, but what makes “Companion” so unique is its cyclical reversion to its core concept. Every time it looks like Iris can finally get out, Josh again takes control of her programming, thereby taking control over her –– a representation of toxic and controlling relationships that, though admittedly on the nose, is nonetheless successful through its creativity in expressing it.
Nor is “Companion” the first film wherein a female robot is placed under, or attempts to free herself from, male control. Perhaps the most notable example of this subgenre is “The Stepford Wives,” a twice-adapted novel by Ira Levin that follows a family’s relocation to a small town with a robotically domestic female population.
In many ways, most notably its opening tribute, “Companion” is an ideological descendent of that story –– it’s “Ex Machina” meets “Lars and the Real Girl,” with a touch of “Get Out." And more importantly, it is the newest iteration in a long line of quasi-horror movies with the central thesis that, yeah, men suck.
The curation of films below seeks to outline the 2020s thus far, as told through the specific subset of the horror genre occupied by “Companion.” This list and this genre should not be seen as a statement on the moral failing of the male sex, but rather an introduction to how cinema has explored these moral failing of the male sex.
“Fresh” (2022)
Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan keep each other, and the audience, on their toes in this underappreciated rom-com-very-quickly-turned-horror flick. In similar fashion to “Companion,” the first act of “Fresh” is somewhat traditional, opening with a bad date that both serves as a meditation on the pains of dating in the modern era and leads into the first of many twists in a story both appalling and incredibly astute. Technically, a spoiler warning would be necessitated, but director Mimi Cave is never subtle about what is coming in the film’s big reveal –– intentionally, and in a way that helps what could easily have been a gruesome and unnecessary divergence into cannibalism succeed as an avenue for astute social commentary.
“The Menu” (2022)
Perhaps the closest cinematic companion to “Companion,” “The Menu” is a well-prepared dish of “eat the rich” social satire served up on a platter of black comedy horror. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as the reluctant companion –– human, this time –– of an unsavory foodie, accompanying him to a remote dining experience whose exclusive and expressly selected guest list features a stellar ensemble cast. Each course introduces a new complexity, each dish plated progressively bloodier and each revelation making Taylor-Joy’s character further second guess her choice of date and company. Perhaps the most surprising twist of all is that, unlike its predecessor on this list, “The Menu” does not feature cannibalism — but it does feature some truly awful male characters.
“Don’t Worry Darling” (2022)
Though the on-screen drama of “Don’t Worry Darling” was vastly overshadowed by its off-screen drama, the film is undeniably a member of this class of cinema, telling the tale of a housewife in an idyllic 1950s company town where not everything is as it seems. Though the film rapidly loses steam as it enters its second hour, the premise of “Don’t Worry Darling” is fascinating and the setup fashionably executed, with Florence Pugh shining as a woman suffering at the expense of a man’s fancy and fantasy. And while opinions on Harry Styles’ acting prowess may vary, his character in this horror-thriller is certainly an epitomization of the ‘men suck’ cinematic canon.
“Woman of the Hour” (2023)
Based on a true story, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut follows an aspiring actress cast on the reality television show “The Dating Game,” where, unbeknownst to her, one of her three suitors is also a serial killer. Easily accessible on Netflix, the film is equal parts thoughtful and thrilling, flashing back and forth between the past crimes of Rodney Alcala and the present circumstances of Sheryl Bradshaw, played by Kendrick. “Woman of the Hour” is deeply unnerving, but perhaps the most haunting shot is its postscript, which states that while Alcala was charged with the murder of seven women and girls, his actual number of victims is estimated to be well over 100.
“Blink Twice” (2024)
From familiar industry face Zoë Kravitz and starring her at-the-time fiancé Channing Tatum, “Blink Twice” follows Naomi Ackie as a waitress and nail artist who, alongside her friend, gets invited to the Epstein island-esque retreat of a tech mogul. Almost immediately is it clear that something is not right, aided by compelling performances from a sinister Tatum and naive Ackie. While “Blink Twice” has been criticized for a lack of depth in its pursuit of the questions it raises –– going about its trajectory in a “lookie here… no, lookie here!” manner that prevents the provision of any real substance –– it certainly has a point to make about men in positions of power and women falling victim to their exploits.
A Letterboxd review of “Woman of the Hour” remarks, not incorrectly, that “men is a horror subgenre.” Again, an exploration of this subgenre is not a criticism of the male sex, merely an observation that six significant releases in the last three years have been centered around this idea, that four of the six were directed by women and that three of the six were directorial debuts. The fact that women feel the need to tell these stories is why the ‘men suck’ canon exists –– and based on this track record, it does not look like it is going anywhere.
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