Companion

Directed by Drew Hancock, Companion follows a couple (Jack Quaid’s Josh and Sophie Thatcher’s Iris) as they experience life-changing events after arriving at a friend’s remote country estate. Filmmaker Hancock, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a progressively engrossing piece of work that benefits from the top-notch efforts of its various performers, as both Quaid and Thatcher offer up engaging, charismatic work that goes a long way towards initially capturing the viewer’s interest and attention – with the palpable chemistry between the actors only enhancing the almost compulsively watchable atmosphere. (Rupert Friend’s minor yet captivating turn as a Russian periphery character remains a continuing highlight, as well.) And while the movie’s midsection is admittedly not quite as streamlined as one might’ve liked, particularly during a pursuit sequence set within a nearby forest, Companion, buoyed by the inclusion of several thoroughly tense sequences (eg a character attempts to start a car), progresses into a blisteringly-paced, twist-laden second half that builds towards a completely satisfying climactic stretch – which does, in the end, cement the picture’s place as a first class endeavor from a promising new helmer.

***1/2 out of ****