Companion - Review: A Tale of Our Relationship with Technology

 

While it doesn’t share the same writer or director, “Companion” does share the same producers as the 2022 surprise horror hit “Barbarian.” And like that film, it's also a tale best experienced while knowing as little as possible. It’s virtually impossible to discuss “Companion” with any real merit without spoiling its central conceit, so for those just wanting to know its quality: it's a taught, bloody, exceptionally funny dark comedy horror thriller that riffs on romantic comedies to delightful and ridiculously fun results. 

The film follows Iris, played by Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets,” “Heretic”), who travels with her boyfriend Josh, played by Jack Quaid (“The Boys,” “Star Trek: Lower Decks”), to a fancy cabin in the woods owned by Sergey, played by Rupert Friend (“Homeland,” “Asteroid City”), the older Russian boyfriend of Josh’s friend Kat, played by Megan Suri (“Never Have I Ever,” “It Lives Inside”). After a night of drinks and partying with everyone, including Josh and Kat’s friend Eli, played by Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows (2019),” “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”) and his boyfriend Patrick, played by Lukas Gage (“Smile 2,” “”), Iris realizes a horrifying truth: she isn’t a real person, she’s a companion robot Josh rents to be his girlfriend, full of fictitious memories and feelings for him. 

Thatcher anchors the entire film with a performance that, even given her previously stellar work, absolutely excels. She turns Iris into someone you become fully invested in, riding with her throughout her tumultuous adventure. It's a character that just lets her run away with the film and she’s just utterly fantastic. Quaid is also fantastic, continuing to use his “good guy” persona to excellent effect, building up the emotional core of the film while also weaponizing it to terrifying effect. He can balance both halves expertly and is a perfect foible for Thatcher and Iris. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the cast is still great, but just don’t get as much meat to dig into as Thatcher or Quaid. Gage is an absolute standout, cementing his place as almost a third lead in the film. His career seems to be slowly morphing into that of a scream king, and he plays it well. Suri and Guillén get to fulfill the typical archetypes of their roles in this kind of genre cinema, but they don’t feel one note though. A huge part of that is the script, the film is written and directed by Drew Hancock (“Suburgatory,” “Blue Mountain State”), which manages to shatter each characters' pre-conceived role in the tale to great dramatic and comedic effect. There are numerous stretches where the film feels like a straight up comedy, with Hancock cranking up the tension exactly when needed. 

Composer Hrishikesh Hirway (“Save the Date,” “Everything Sucks!”) gets in on the juxtapositions as well, with a musical score that does fall into the typical tense and horror adjacent strings when needed but otherwise plays into the film’s bright and cheerful rom-com facade. Hancock and his team get great mileage out of a relatively small shooting space, using the lake house and surrounding woods to create a palpable sense of claustrophobia. 

Hancock’s experience working on off-kilter sitcoms and directing music videos for the likes of Tenacious D shines through here, as the film somehow never splits from its horror-comedy tone. There are breadcrumbs to piece together through the first act, and even when things turn, it remains an exceptionally funny movie. It's a bit of a magic trick how both of these elements not only work together so well, but never overshadow each other. Given the heavy themes piled throughout, Hancock keeps it highly entertaining. It's the sort of film that’s just a really fun time at the movies, plain and simple. If there is one thing that holds it back, it's the fact that, for all its modern-day urgency and topic-ness, it does feel like yet another “A.I./robot-adjacent horror film” even for as well executed and entertaining as it is. 

“Companion” is a ton of fun in just about every way. It really isn’t the film’s fault that it just happens to be coming out in a glut of robot-focused horror or thriller films. After all, in the years going forward, all that will remain is the fact that this is a tightly written and directed film that’s never fails to be funny or tense, sometimes at the same time, and proves to be yet another showcase for the fantastic talents of Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid. A connection with this “Companion” is an easy recommendation. 4.5/5 

Dog Man - Review: The World's First "Supa Cop"

 

Almost a decade after their first foray into the world of Dav Pilkey’s books with “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” DreamWorks is dipping their toes back into the well of kiddish silliness once more. While the books this film is based on are actually written by Pilkey, they’re considered “in universe” novels written by the two young protagonists of the “Captain Underpants” series, George and Harold. Which does explain why, from the names of locations to the dialogue to the offbeat art style, everything about “Dog Man” bleeds kid whimsy from each frame. 

Set in Ohkay City, dimwitted cop Officer Knight and his beloved and much smarted dog Greg are caught in an explosion set up by Petey the Cat, voiced by Pete Davidson (“The King of Staten Island,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies”), resulting in life threatening injuries. The only way to save them is to sew Greg’s head onto Knight’s body, creating a dog-man “supa cop” hybrid known as Dog Man. In his new state, the Chief of Police, voiced by Lil Rey Howery (“Get Out,” “The Carmichael Show”), sets Dog Man after Petey the Cat, who now has a young clone/son Lil Petey, voiced by Lucas Hopkins Calderon in tow, all while famed reported Sarah Hatoff, voiced by Isla Fisher (“Wedding Crashers,” “Wolf Like Me”) reports on the arch enemies. 

Much like the original novels and the previous “Captain Underpants” film, writer/director Peter Hastings (“Animaniacs,” “The Country Bears (2002)”) keeps an authentic kind of silliness on full display here. From side characters without names (the police chief is just named Chief) to important locations like the Living Spray Factory or the Abandoned Expendable Warehouse, it feels as though a ten-year-old kid sat down and told the entire story to Hastings, who then pitched it to a bid-budget animation studio. There’s a refreshing level of nonchalance to everything; no one ever winks at the camera for any of these jokes or puns, because that’s just how the world is here. You just sit back and go along for the ride. 

While Howery and Fisher are a comedic highlight, both leaning into the most cartoonish voices they can muster, Davidson and Calderon are both unexpected delights. While Calderon more or less has to speak with his own kid voice, Davidson brings a surprising amount of pathos to a role that should be just a joke. An evil cat to fight off a good dog, but his delivery is exceptionally comedic while also being soft and sincere. It’s a weird balance that makes him a standout for the film. 

For those unaware, the “Dog Man” books feature plenty of silliness and slapstick, but when they shift away from Dog Man and towards Petey and Lil Petey, they take a tonal turn into the more somber. While his origins aren’t delved into as much in the film, Petey’s discussions on life, parenting, and love with Lil Petey seemingly come out of nowhere. It feels like when a small kid will randomly ask you about your life, and all of a sudden, you’re accidentally having introspective conversations with a 6-year-old, with a kind of honesty only they can muster. This isn’t just apparent in these scenes, as little details of Petey’s rougher childhood, such as a robot he names “80-HD” (say it out loud), give little insights into the character. It gives the film and Petey an extra layer that makes it more than an over-the-top silly romp, and arguably turns it into a film far more about him than Dog Man. 

It isn’t all somberness and “deep talks about life” though, as 95% of the film does rocket straight ahead with its silliness. This does mean that the first 10 or so minutes of the film move at such a breakneck pace, you’d be mistaken for believing it was being fast-forwarded through. The freewheeling comedy and action mean that the pacing is quite erratic, moving blisteringly fast one moment, and grinding to a halt the next. The third act feels this the most, as despite being filled with action and comedy that’s just as funny as the rest of the film, it also introduces a new villain, Flippy the telepathic fish, voiced by Rickey Gervais (“The Office (2001),” “The Invention of Lying”), who sticks out thanks to a rougher vocal performance. 

Beyond the pacing and humor, the film’s visual style is a sight to behold. Ditching anything remotely close to realism, the world of Dog Man comes to life with bright colors and a purposefully simplistic art design. Characters eyes are nothing more than black dots or lines, puffs of smoke billow in scribble balls, and everything feels handmade in the best way. When Dog Man’s head turns, you see both sides of his mouth, never betraying his hand-drawn two-dimensional design. Even inanimate objects brought to life simply have big Muppet-ish googly eyes added on top of them. It’s just another layer of humor that helps bring this world to childish life. 

“Dog Man” is dizzying and very very funny, in an honest kind of kiddy way that’s almost impossible to be replicated by anyone older than 8. But Peter Hastings has taken Dav Pilkey’s beloved “supa cop” and thrown him onto the big screen in all his scribbly glory. For as erratic as the pacing is, it can’t spoil a thoroughly funny and authentically childish film that makes for an excellent way to spend 80 minutes at the movies. 3.5/5

The Reel Life's Year in Film: Best of 2024

Join me in celebrating this year in film as I count down my top 10 films of 2024, as well as highlighting my most surprising, best actor, and best actress, and other individual awards.

One of Them Days - Review: A Buddy Comedy That Pays the Bills

January has proven itself to be a theatrical dead zone for years given most studios tendencies to dump films either poorly received or that they think just won’t make money in any other month. Yet, there’s also plenty of films released during that month that buck the trend; not only is it when a lot of awards buzz films tend to expand to wide release, but there’s also the likes of “Cloverfield,” “M3GAN,” “Scream (2022),” “Split,” “Bad Boys For Life,” “The Grey,” and plenty more. Now, one more can get added to that list, and it's also the first theatrically released Hollywood R-rated comedy in quite a while. Plus, it's good. 

“One of Them Days” follows two best friends: diner waitress Dreux Jones, played by Keke Palmer (“Akeelah and the Bee,” “Nope”), and aspiring artist Alyssa, played by SZA in her film debut, who find themselves in trouble after Alyssa’s on-and-off boyfriend Keshawn, played by Joshua Neal, takes the money they’d set aside for rent. With only a few hours to pay, the duo run around L.A. attempting to make money, while also trying to escape from Keshawn’s new girlfriend Berniece, played by Aziza Scott (“Home Before Dark”), and getting Dreux to her interview for a new job as a diner franchisee. 

There’s plenty of material and humor here that echoes producer Issa Rae’s (“The Lovebirds,” “Insecure”) hit HBO series “Insecure,” from the believable absurdity to even the people involved with the production: the film is written by Syreeta Singleton (“Insecure,” “Rap Sh!t”) and directed by Lawrence Lamont (“Rap Sh!t”), with Singleton working with Rae on “Insecure” and both working with her on “Rap Sh!t.” There’s an even flow to the humor that’s helped by the film’s self-imposed ticking timer, but also because Singleton and Lamont make sure things always boil down to Druex and Alyssa’s friendship. 

It’s the kind of comedy that comes from their relationship. It’s funny because you’re getting to know them and watching them evolve throughout the film. Therefore, it's bolstered immensely by two very funny lead performances. Palmer is an absolute standout, continuing her conquest of the modern studio comedy market. She brings the pathos for the handful of scenes that require it, but she’s clearly a comedic actor in her element, even if she can be even better when she’s the one cut loose to swing from the rafters. SZA does manage to hold her own, working as the ditsier, more laidback friend between the two. She does nail the role, and the energy and chemistry between the pair is infectious and provides enough of a reason to see the film. 

Much of the film’s supporting cast is filled with a who’s who of black comedic actors, from Katt Williams (“Friday After Next,” “The Boondocks”) and Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary,” “Central Park”) to Lil Rey Howery (“The Carmichael Show,” “Get Out”) and Vanessa Bell Calloway (“Coming to America,” “Southside with You”). They all do their jobs well, with Williams being the only real standout amongst them. Like most comedies like this, they pepper the numerous scenes and give our two leads other even weirder characters to bounce off of. Maude Apatow (“euphoria,” “The King of Staten Island”) also pops up as Druex and Alyssa’s new neighbor Bethany, the only white person in their apartment complex, and she proves to be a standout as well, especially in the film’s third act.

There’s a slight bit of absurdity filtering through the behind the scenes of the film as well. The musical score, composed by Chanda Dancy (“Blink Twice,” “Devotion”), and cinematography from Ava Berkofsky (“Share,” “The Sky is Everywhere”) provide just enough variety and twists on the genre to keep things playful. The cinematography in particular feels slightly bent in a way that highlights the L.A. craziness without drawing direct attention to it.

“One of Them Days” is an excellent way to kick off 2025 for film. It’s a fun buddy comedy with two excellent leads that keep things moving fast and funny. Palmer is already a star, with this film proving it even more so, and SZA may just be a new comedic star in the making. By basing the comedy in their friendship and allowing it to filter through them, the film lifts itself slightly above the genre, proving to be more than just another R-rated comedy. 4/5