Jakarta. “Companion” has given us fresh hope that 2025 will be a good year for the American thriller scene.

Drew Hancock’s “Companion” joins the list of android-gone-wrong movies, while giving it a fresh twist. An android movie typically comes with the story of these high-tech robots trying to take over the world as they get sick of being ruled by humans. It usually warns the audience of how technology -- if not kept in check -- could potentially threaten humanity. But that is not the case with “Companion”. 

The Jakarta Globe recently joined a press screening of the movie that will be playing in Indonesian cinemas on Jan. 29.  The film is a cautionary tale of something that is actually closer to us than we might think: a toxic relationship and how we can lose ourselves when in love. 

The cleanly executed AI-themed thriller revolves around the complicated relationship between Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid). The movie opens with a meet-cute story between the two lovebirds in a supermarket. It then cuts to them going on a getaway at a lakeside estate. Josh’s friends -- Kat (Megan Suri), Eli (Harvey Guillén), and his lover Patrick (Lukas Gage) -- join them on their vacation. Last but not least is Sergey (Rupert Friend), the filthy rich lake house’s owner who looks like a Russian mafia. The vacation takes a dark turn after a chain of events pushes Iris to kill Sergey. It is then that the movie truly unveils its dystopian future setting. Iris is just a robot whom Josh rents as a girlfriend. 

Long story short, Josh has tampered with Iris’ system to have her kill Sergey. This way, Josh and Kat can run off with Sergey’s money without getting blood on their hands, while pinning the murder on the android. After the big reveal, the “Companion” spends most of its runtime showing Josh and the gang trying to chase Iris.

After Sergey’s murder, the gang ties Iris onto a chair so that she cannot run away. It is then that Josh finally reveals to Iris that she is not a real person, but an android. Josh also talks about their first encounter. It is not the supermarket meet-cute story that Iris remembers. Josh first meets Iris when technicians deliver her to his apartment after he orders the robot girlfriend online.

Thatcher did well in portraying Iris’ panic and denials. As a companion robot, Iris’ happiness centers around that of Josh. Iris feels betrayed by her loved one. She loses her sense of self. All this time, she thought of herself as a living human being just like the others.

Iris is a symbol of someone in love who romances through rose-colored glasses. Iris makes Josh her sole purpose of living -- although this is something inevitable for Iris’ case considering that she is originally designed to make her users happy. But the movie can be a wake-up call to the audience to show the detrimental effects of pouring every inch of your own happiness into one person. It also shows the dangers of becoming so focused on your partner that you lose your sense of identity.

As the story goes on, “Companion” shows how Josh can control the love-stricken Iris via a smartphone app. He can alter her voice, language, and even eye color -- just like how one would customize a Sims character. Josh even lowers the android’s intelligence to 40 percent, something that irks the sentient Iris.

The smartphone symbolizes Josh’s control over the relationship. But even without the smartphone, Josh still tries to manipulate Iris. He would call Iris by her affectionate nickname “Bip-Bup” in a move to win her heart and reclaim control. The toxic relationship symbolism remains strong even after Iris has full self-control in the final battle scene. Josh said something along the lines that Iris was “too much”, and how Iris considered him as an inseparable part of and everything to her. Luckily, Iris does not fall for Josh’s words.

What Iris Wears and How It Shows Her Control over Life 

A big shout-out to the costume department of “Companion”.

Iris would always wear a feminine, pastel-colored outfit with a matching headband. However, the cute dresses that Iris wears actually embody her character development and how much control Josh has as a boyfriend.

In real life, there are many people whose significant others tell them what they can or cannot wear. And this is something beyond giving someone fashion tips or friendly advice. It is about having control in the relationship. The clothes we wear are a form of self-expression. Having the freedom to choose whatever we want shows that we, as a human being, have a choice.

After Sergey’s death, Josh briefs Iris on how they actually met. Some technicians from the company that produces Iris deliver the fully wrapped robot to his apartment. They also bring the pastel dresses that Iris would wear. Considering how the company gives its customers the freedom to determine how their robots behave, it is very likely that Josh gets to choose Iris’ fashion choices to his liking. Even after Josh finally recaptures Iris who has been on the run, he dresses her back in the vintage, feminine dress style -- a symbol of him regaining control.

Another key scene that describes the power relation is when Josh instructs Iris to put her hand over a candle. The fire burns her human-like synthetic skin. In the final shower scene, Iris stares at her hand which now shows the intricate robotic systems within. This scene is actually quite powerful as it shows Iris’ growth as a character.

After much denial at the beginning, she finally accepts that she is indeed a robot. But she knows that does not mean she cannot live her life to the fullest. We then see her putting on a leather jacket -- something that is contrary to what the old, Josh-controlled Iris would wear.

The change in fashion style is not just Iris trying to turn a new page As Iris frees herself from the toxic relationship she was once in, she finally gets to wear whatever clothes she wants. She now has a choice. She claims her sense of identity. She gains control over how she lives her life.