If you haven't seen the trailer for the new dark comedic thriller, Companion, don't. It gives away too much, both visually and through the dialogue.
The movie tells the tale of a billionaire's death that sets off a chain of events for Iris and her friends during the weekend trip to his lakeside estate. We got Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lucas Gage, Harvey Guillen, Megan Suri, and Rupert Friend starring in this violent comedic outing. The story takes place in this isolated mansion that sits in the middle of a forest on a lake. And it's secluded, away from everybody, and it creates the perfect environment for events to go off the rails.
Right from the start, we know that this isn't going to have a massively happy ending. We're given a bit of narration that works to mysteriously set up the finale. And while we may know where the story is going to end up, the journey there, it's twisted and messed up.
Now, Sophie Thatcher plays Iris, this slightly stoic and stiff young woman who's the girlfriend of Josh, played by Jack Quaid. Their relationship is strained, or at least awkward, with Iris exhibiting a large lack of self-confidence, especially when faced with spending the weekend at this mansion with Josh's friends. And Thatcher is great as Iris.
Her mannerisms perfectly capture the essence of the character, while still allowing her to be sympathetic and endearing. And Jack Quaid is fun to watch, but in a very uncomfortable way. He feels just a tiny bit off.
I feel like they're not laying all their cards out within the relationship. Now, the friends they go to meet at the house, they're a good mix of characters, even though their development pretty thin and lacking. I think we get the most backstory on Lucas Gage and Harvey Guyen's couple, thanks to just this retelling of how they met.
I mean, they're still strangers, but at least there's an emotional tie that we're given to draw us to them. Meg and Suri and Rupert Friend, they're the ones with the least amount of background. We do get a sense of their characters and their integrity through actions, but outside of that, you know, there's nothing to write home about, other than Friend's portrayal of the rich host Sergei.
He may be stereotyping the character, but it does work. The impetus for The Weekend, it's also pretty simple. It's not an engaging MacGuffin and is actually quite generic.
But while that portion may be the reason that the group gets together, the real crux of the story is the social commentary that's contained within. This is a brilliant and searing look at beliefs and behaviors that seem to be quite rampant in today's society, at least within the U.S. Now, I'm going to be vague on the specifics because it does venture into spoiler territory, but the pointed message on a lot of this, it isn't obscured or hidden. It's pretty obvious and straightforward, especially if you're paying attention.
And the funny thing is that those that are the target of this commentary are probably going to relate to and cheer on the wrong character, further illustrating and confirming the message of the film. But don't get the idea that this is preachy. It doesn't stop down and give us a bunch of exposition that oversimplifies the themes.
Everything is contained within the dialogue and actions, demonstrating the unhealthy mindsets and showing us the consequences of not changing, but also giving us positive examples as contrasts so that people can't bemoan the story for only harshly criticizing this particular group.
I was a little shocked by the violence that we get. There are a few times that are unflinching in what we're shown. It's abrupt, brutal, and bloody. And the matter of factness at which a lot of it is carried out is just sudden, but it's also very satisfying. I love how the violence also works as this contradiction to the pureness, almost the chaste aesthetic of Iris.
She's always wearing these gingham-patterned clothes that are usually pastel or lightly colored, giving her a domesticated appearance not unlike a 1950s housewife. It's visceral how the difference between her outfits and the bloody gore work to reinforce the social commentary.
This is a pretty tight movie at just 97 minutes. And while the characters would have been more engaging, even complex, with background development, the story is efficient in getting us right into the fray and then in the middle of the chaos. And if you're going into this looking for some fun violence, you don't have to wait extremely long for that to happen. This can make some of the storytelling feel rushed, but that's kind of the payoff to get to the crux of the plot quickly.
And once the events begin, that's when we get a snowball effect that turns the day into the one that made Alexander want to move to Australia. And even though it is a bit rushed, it's still an enjoyable quickness. And it doesn't hurt that this is funny, just in a messed up sort of way.
So overall, Companion takes a simplistic premise and builds a violent, dark comedy that's rich with scathing commentary and pointed messaging. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'll give the movie 8. While the characters don't get much in the way of background, we are treated to excellent performances from Thatcher, Quaid, Guillen, and Gage. By contrasting old-school idyllic appearances with savage violence, the film strengthens its social criticism in a unique and competent manner.
8 means it's a good movie. Although I don't watch Thriller but it caught my interest.
You might want to make an exception for this one, it'll be worth it
Thanks for the Warning on the Trailer, I really want to see this one and will keep it totally blank going in basically not knowing anything about it.