A 2025 Sci-Fi Thriller With A 93% Rotten Tomatoes Score Is A Must-Watch For HBO Max Users
Science fiction fans are a unique bunch. They don't always care if a movie is a big tentpole blockbuster or a low-budget indie film. The quality of the special effects isn't typically what's important to a true sci-fi fan either, as it's the story, characters, and often its moral or ethical message that sells it. And that means they'll look just about anywhere for a hot new film to dazzle them, and one of the latest happens to be on HBO Max: "Companion," the directorial debut of filmmaker Drew Hancock that mixes sci-fi and horror with sly, dark humor.
In "Companion," we meet Josh (Jack Quaid) and his apparent girlfriend Iris (Sophie Thatcher), who join two other couples for a vacation in a remote lakehouse. It's quickly revealed, however, that Iris is not a person at all, but an AI-powered "companion" android, and that Josh has been using her as part of a fiendish scheme to make off with millions of dollars. What he doesn't expect, however, is Iris discovering the plot and fighting back.
A tense crime caper filtered through a sci-fi premise, "Companion" is something truly fresh and inventive, which fans of the genre are always looking for. A strong cast, a story full of twists and turns, and a shocking climax all add up to one of the best thrillers of 2025, and its 93% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes could eventually earn it a place on our list of best sci-fi movies of all time.
Drew Hancock says Companion was the result of frustration
Newcomer Drew Hancock took it upon himself to write and direct the clever "Companion" after years of toiling away as a scribe on projects like "Supah Ninjas" and "Blue Mountain State." Not landing any opportunities to go further than writing for mostly short-lived TV shows, Hancock found himself floundering in 2020. And while COVID changed the film industry forever, it also changed Hancock's fortunes.
"During COVID, [quarantine] kind of forced me to sit down and go, 'Well, why aren't you getting the opportunities that you want?' I realized it was my own fault," Hancock told Bloody Disgusting in an interview to promote "Companion" in 2025. "I realized I didn't have a writing sample that represented the kinds of movies that I like." Sitting down to create something new and bold that was all his own, he started "Companion" as a straight horror flick, with none of the humor that found its way into the final version.
"I wanted to make something that represented my voice [but] I still was denying that, and I made a more dramatic version," Hancock continued. "It just wasn't that interesting." After some critiques from friends, Hancock realized the script was missing a comedic edge and went back for rewrites. "That's when it really started to click," he recalled. The end result is a story that goes to dark, twisted places, but has a sense of black humor that Hancock says "[is] my voice."