“You don’t really know what a movie is about until you see what it is,” says “Companion” writer and director Drew Hancock on his journey with his horror tour de force. “It was an exercise in writing something I wanted to see because I love genre stuff but wasn’t getting an opportunity to write any. All I cared about was writing it and getting it made, no matter who directed it.”
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“Companion” stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid as Iris and Josh, as they embark on a weekend getaway among friends at a remote cabin, which unravels into chaos after it’s revealed that one of the guests is a companion robot. Hancock, who has primarily worked as a comedic television writer for shows such as “My Dead Ex” and “Suburgatory,” started writing “Companion” a few years ago, and what began as a writing exercise quickly became a passion project, further inspired by the work of his eventual producing partner Zach Cregger.
“I was writing ‘Companion’ when I was sent the script for ‘Barbarian,’” says Hancock. “I was blown away by the POV switch halfway through ‘Barbarian,’ the rule-breaking, and it invigorated me. It’s so serendipitous that they inspired me, and then they became producers and helped me make ‘Companion.’ Zach was going to direct ‘Companion,’ but I was very protective of this, and I think I refined and polished it so much that he decided that maybe this guy should direct it. Credit to Zach and his generosity because he championed me and said he would better serve as a producer with me directing.”
In addition to featuring a phenomenal genre-blending script and great performances, “Companion” thrives because of its unconventional score from Hrishikesh Hirway, pairing what Hancock calls “70s gentle romance” with sinister tension and Coen brothers-esque violence.
“The score was not an easy needle to thread,” says Hancock. “You don’t want it to hold your hand. I went in going, ‘this movie isn’t going to have a single needle drop,’ and then you start to edit, and you realize there’s a reason why you use them, where a song would be better than just score.” Of particular note is the use of the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” in a flashback scene. “Using ‘Iris’ as a needle drop is very expensive, so we had to ensure we used it in the right spot,” says Hancock. “It’s a hilarious song to be listening to by yourself, and Iris was also written for “City of Angels,” which stars Meg Ryan, Jack’s mom.”
On influences, Hancock singled out the Coen brothers as his “all-time favorite” for the way they combine seemingly disparate elements, such as witty humor amid bloody violence. “I love movies that could be considered a cartoon, like ‘Fargo,’ or any movie that combines two elements that don’t make sense.” Finally, when it came to movies audiences should check out pre and post “Companion,” Hancock cited Cary Grant and Aubrey Hepburn’s “‘Charade,’” a thriller that’s really funny, “Ex Machina” for obvious reasons, and any Coen brothers movie, but “Fargo” especially.”
Check out our full interview with writer-director Drew Hancock below, where we also talk about why “Challengers” is his favorite film of 2024, how adding humor turned a “Black Mirror”-esque first draft into one of 2025’s best films so far, the ways in which the character of Iris mirrors his own anxieties, and why giving away one plot surprise in the trailer felt in service to the larger film.
“Companion,” also starring Lucas Gage, Megan Suri, and Rupert Friend, arrives in theatres and is now playing via Warner Bros.
