Companion 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

A Retreat That Takes a Dark Turn

Drew Hancock’s Companion (2025) is a gripping sci-fi thriller that starts as a simple getaway and morphs into a harrowing fight for survival. Starring Sophie Thatcher – (TV’s Yellowjackets) and Jack Quaid (TV’s The Boys) as a couple whose weekend trip spirals into chaos, the film blends psychological tension with brutal sci-fi horror, leaving audiences questioning the nature of control and humanity. 

Produced by Zach Cregger (Barbarian) and the team behind modern horror hits, Companion follows a group of friends who gather at a remote lakeside home. What begins as a relaxing escape soon unravels when a shocking revelation turns the group against one another. With its sharp script and relentless pacing, the film keeps viewers on edge from start to finish. 

Released by Warner Bros. in January 2025, Companion has earned praise for its fresh take on AI horror, delivering both cerebral scares and visceral thrills. 

A Slow-Burn Unraveling of Trust 

The film opens with an intimate look at Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh’s (Jack Quaid) relationship, establishing their dynamic before throwing them into an increasingly sinister situation. The secluded setting—a luxurious but isolated lake house—creates an eerie contrast between relaxation and impending doom. 

As tensions rise among the group, a violent incident forces Iris to confront a horrifying truth about herself. The revelation upends everything she thought she knew, turning the film into a desperate battle for autonomy and survival. The less said about the twists, the better—but Companion masterfully plays with expectations, keeping the audience guessing until the final moments. 

Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid Shine 

Thatcher delivers a standout performance as Iris, balancing vulnerability, and fierce determination. Her character’s emotional journey is the film’s backbone, and she sells every moment of terror, confusion, and defiance. 

Quaid, meanwhile, proves his range as Josh, a man whose charm hides something far more sinister. His performance is chilling in its subtlety, making him one of the most unsettling antagonists in recent sci-fi horror. 

The supporting cast—including Lukas Gage (Road House), Megan Suri (Netflix’s Never Have I Ever), and Harvey Guillén (TV’s Harley Quinn)—adds depth to the story, each character bringing their own secrets and motivations into the fray. 

A Thought-Provoking Horror Story 

Companion isn’t just about jump scares—it’s a film that lingers in the mind. It explores themes of free will, manipulation, and the ethics of artificial intelligence, raising questions that feel disturbingly apposite to the times we are in. 

Hancock’s direction keeps the tension tight, using the isolated setting to amplify the sense of claustrophobia and paranoia. The cinematography contrasts serene nature shots with stark, brutal violence, while the sound design— varyingly dry and quietly ambient, often interrupted with loud bursts of pop music.

A Must-See for Sci-Fi and Horror Fans 

Companion is a rare thriller that satisfies on multiple levels: as a high-stakes survival story, a psychological horror film, and a sci-fi cautionary tale. With stellar performances, a razor-sharp script, and an ending that will spark debates, it’s one of the most compelling genre films of the year. 

The Video

Companion was shot on the Arri Alexa 35 with Zeiss Master Prime lenses. It is brought to 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. in a 2.39:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) HDR10 encodement. The picture is clean and detailed given the high resolution digital production. Finer details like Sophie Thatcher’s freckles are easily made out. The HDR10 is subtle, because the setting itself is, which is mostly indoors in a modernist home with neutral and metallic colors accented by some warmer tones, don’t ‘pop’ much, but highlights are good and the contrast is good. One scene where there is a lot of blood shows a very deep, sanguine color.

The Audio

The English Dolby Atmos track for Companion is subtle but well handled. The sound alternates between a tight ambiance with very clear and full dialogue, to lusher and more atmospheric, often with blasts of sound effects or music. The overheads are not very active with movement, but they do create a more cohesive and encapsulating sound. There are occasional sounds that are panned harder left or right. The low end is impressively chunky.

The Supplements

There are not many bonuses included. The three featurettes feature interviews with the cast and crew on the various aspects of the film. Movies Anywhere is also provided.

Bonus Features:

• Movies Anywhere Digital Code
• Companion: I Feel, Therefore I Am (1080p; 00:05:43)
• Companion: Love, Eli (1080p; 00:04:26)
• AI Horror (1080p; 00:05:09)

The Final Assessment

Companion is a smart, suspenseful, and deeply unsettling thriller that sticks with you long after the credits roll. The 4K disc from Warner Bros. is reference through and through, with little to complain about given the sleek production of the film. Highly recommended.

Companion is out on 4K Ultra HD + Digital April 1, 2025 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

• Rating Certificate: R (for strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout.)
• Studios & Distributors: BoulderLight Pictures | New Line Cinema | Vertigo Entertainment | Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
• Director: Drew Hancock
• Written By: Drew Hancock
• Run Time: 97 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: HDR10
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • MaxLL:  583 nits
  • MaxFALL: 171 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
• Secondary Audio: English DD 5.1 | English Descriptive Audio (US) | English Descriptive Audio (UK) | French (Québecois) DD 5.1 | French DD 5.1 | German DD 5.1 | German Descriptive Audio | Italian DD 5.1 | Spanish (Castilian) DD 5.1 | Spanish (Latino) DD 5.1 | Czech DD 5.1 | Polish Lektor (DD 5.1)
• Subtitles: English SDH | French | German SDH | Italian SDH | Spanish (Castilian) | Spanish (Latino) | Dutch | Chinese (Traditional) | Chinese (Simplified) | Korean | Czech | Finnish | Danish | Polish | Norwegian | Slovenian | Swedish