As technology and artificial intelligence continues to grow increasingly prevalent in the modern world, upcoming New Line Cinema film Companion weaves a thrilling tale that dives into the intersection between love and technology, crafting “a new kind of love story” for theaters starting Jan. 31.
The film centers around seemingly normal couple Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid), who join their group of friends for an idyllic weekend getaway at a lake house. However, it is soon revealed that Iris is an A.I. robot designed for companionship purposes, and was created to cater to Josh’s every need. Throughout the film, Iris fights for her agency, learning how to exist outside of the relationship she was designed for and discovering who she is in the process.
Thatcher and Quaid, along with supporting cast and writer and director Drew Hancock, participated in a virtual college press roundtable about the film, speaking to student journalism outlets (including Her Campus at UC Santa Barbara!) about their initial thoughts on the script, what it was like developing their characters, and what they hope viewers take away from the film.
Hancock shared that he was inspired to write the script for Companion by the growing popularity of A.I. technology. “As a writer, I’m always checking Chat GPT to see how developed it is,” Hancock told Her Campus at UCSB. “Recently, I’m like ‘oh my gosh, oh no.’ This is actually kind of scary, how nuanced its ability to tell a story is becoming.”
“At the end of the day, [A.I. is] a tool. It’s technology, it’s going to be in the hands of humans. Are we going to set rules and regulations of how it’s used, because it can be used for good and it can be used for bad,” Hancock added.
“That’s the point of the movie. It’s up to us, it’s in our hands. We can use it as a way to build empathy or build bitterness and entitlement,” he concluded. “There’s two futures, and I hope one wins out.”
When it came to developing the relationship between Iris and Josh (which is the driving force of the film), Thatcher and Quaid told Her Campus at UCSB that it was important to properly depict the facade of their love story, showing viewers that things might not always be what they seem on the surface.
“Some of the hardest scenes for us to shoot were those beginning scenes, where it feels like maybe this is a real, normal, in love couple,” Quaid said. “We wanted to make sure that there was something a little off about it.”
The pair also spoke to the relevance of the film in the modern day world, as it heavily deals with female power and agency.
“I think this is coming out at a really good time,” Thatcher said, speaking to the current political climate. “[‘Companion’] will resonate with a lot of women.”
Companion also features a strong supporting cast playing the friends of Josh, with Harvey Guillén as Eli, Lukas Gage as Patrick, and Megan Suri as Kat. Accompanying the couple in their weekend getaway-gone-wrong, the supporting characters play instrumental roles in further exploring the nuanced plot, paving the way for thrilling surprises and revelations throughout the film.
“In this movie, there’s turns in every corner,” Guillén said. “It’s a nice ride.”
Companion releases in theaters starting Jan. 31. Watch the trailer here.