Sitting somewhere between Barbie, Blade Runner and How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Companion is about a group of friends escaping from the big city to a questionably odd cabin in the woods. Like all good horrors of that sort, it isn’t long before things start to go wrong.
Josh (Jack Quaid) and Iris (Sophie Thatcher) might seem like the perfect couple, but it turns out Iris is actually an “emotional support robot” that somehow starts breaking the cyber-rules. We won’t spoil the many twists and turns but you’re in for one hell of a ride.
Before diving into Companion‘s weird world, created by Drew Hancock, allow stars Quaid and Thatcher to tell you about bonding over drunken karaoke, their thoughts on the ongoing horror revival and what’s next in Yellowjackets and The Boys.
Hey guys! On paper Companion seems a bit silly but there’s a lot to the film. What do you hope people get from it?
Sophie Thatcher: “I hope it sparks conversation. Any project I do, there is that hope that people will be talking about it outside the theatre. And there are so many themes in Companion to talk about. It feels strangely too close to what’s going on at the moment.”
Jack Quaid: “I love that it is very timely. It’s also one of the best scripts I’ve ever read. A huge reason why I wanted to be a part of it so badly is because it’s the sort of thing I would really be a fan of, even if I wasn’t involved. I’m still not really sure what genre it is but the movie is just a blast, as well as being really poignant and relevant.”
There’s been this wave of smart, dark, scary films that people have been drawn to in recent years. Why do you think people are turning to horror right now?
JQ: “It’s where all the best stories are being told. It used to be considered more of a specific genre but I think we’ve found so many different colours to the horror spectrum and it’s really being embraced by culture in a huge way.”
ST: “It’s in such a good place and people are mixing a lot of real-life themes with horror. Companion tackles misogyny, Heretic was about religion. There’s so much to say with that mix of surrealism and reality.”
Jack, you criticised Star Wars on Reddit as research for Scream 5’s toxic fanboy Richie. What did you do to get into the headspace of ultimate #NiceGuy Josh?
JQ: “For the record, I love The Last Jedi. What I enjoy about Josh is that he is an antagonist that does not know he’s an antagonist. He’s the most insecure character I’ve ever played and what helped me was finding empathy for him. One day while filming I realised Josh has rarely heard ‘I love you’ in his life, and that motivates everything he does in this movie.”
Sophie, you often use music to help you get into character. What were you listening to for Iris?
ST: “I originally made this playlist that was very synth-heavy but that felt too obvious for a robot. Let’s give her some emotion. I added Belle & Sebastian for her twee look and there were lots of older songs by Françoise Hardy and Jane Birkin because Iris has this timeless quality to her. It was very French New Wave, ‘60s and romantic. Broadcast was the first band [that really made sense] because there’s a sense of nostalgia and melancholy that I think she has, without knowing she has it.”
One of the creepiest things in the whole film is Josh’s pet name for Iris: “Beep Boop”…
JQ: “I cringed just now. It isn’t pretty, is it?”
Have either of you been on the receiving end of a questionable nickname?
ST: “I’m not going to reveal anything too cringe but… yeah. The thing is, when you’re in the relationship, you don’t realise how awful it actually is until two years after.”
JQ: “It doesn’t hit you until later.”
Any fun nicknames for each other?
JQ: “I call her Sophie Thatcher, Madam President.”
ST: “I’m not really a nickname giver. Jack, what do people call you?”
JQ: “I get Jack Attack. Karl Urban calls me Quaido and I actually love that. I’m also one of those random guys that likes Chief. I know it’s always sarcastic, but whatever.”
ST: “I just get Soapy because of my Instagram name. That or Soapster.”
I hear the cast of Companion bonded over drunken karaoke. What did you sing and who was better?
JQ: “I’ll make it simple. She’s good, I’m bad.”
ST: “I was singing Weezer ‘Say It Ain’t So’ and I feel like that’s always a [good choice]. You do have to think about the crowd when you’re doing karaoke. Sometimes I get selfish late at night and just want to sing David Lynch’s ‘In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)’ before crying myself to sleep. But we’re all performers, so we can turn it on.”
JQ: “You’re an actual singer though. I’m not on the soundtrack to this movie. My choice is usually ‘The Weight’ by The Band. It’s funny, most people don’t know the song if I say the title but as soon as I sing “take a load off, Fanny”, they get it. I’m with you though, you have to be able to read the room which is why I’m against private room karaoke.”
ST: “Oh no, I love private room karaoke. That’s the place to test out songs so when you do it in front of a crowd, it works.”
JQ: “See, I think there needs to be one degree of embarrassment when it comes to karaoke. You’re up there, you’re a little [nervous] but you push through. As long as you physically commit to the song, you dance, I’m in.”
Sophie, you spend a lot of this movie running around the woods which must feel like home after Yellowjackets. We know where Natalie’s story ends but what can fans expect from the new season?
ST: “I’m dying to see the finished episodes because I’m such a big fan of the show. Natalie is the leader this time around. It’s a weird turning point and in the first episode, you see her where she’s maybe the healthiest she’s ever been. You can expect it to not remain that way though and that’s all I’m going to say.”
Jack, the end of The Boys is fast approaching. How are you feeling about saying goodbye to Hughie?
JQ: “It’s really bittersweet. I love that character so much. We’ve just started shooting and my god, Toronto is so cold. This season, Hughie is the most mature we’ve ever seen him. Obviously he’s been through a lot over the course of the show and it’s made him into someone who really has their head on their shoulders. That’s been really, really interesting to play considering where we first met him. It’s been wonderful.”
‘Companion’ is in UK cinemas from today (January 31)