I sometimes think about how a movie’s marketing is at odds with the movie they are supposed to be supporting. It is a common complaint that movie trailers spoil the movies. Most trailers do seem to give away too much plot, and sometimes they will give away a film’s big twist.

But I also think about the ways in which filmmakers make movies with tension and twists. When watching a thriller you pretty much know that the hero isn’t going to die and yet movies often ratchet up the tension making you “believe” that they will. Other times a movie will be about something – something they have to know will be revealed in the marketing as it is central to the reason anyone would want to watch it – yet they will dole it out like a big reveal.

Companion is like that. And it is here that I have to say *spoilers ahead* I guess.

The main character in Companion is a robot, or a “fuck bot” as one character calls her. She is a lifelike android programmed for love and sex. Her name is Iris and she’s wonderfully played by Sophie Thatcher.

If you’ve seen a trailer for the movie then you know this. If you have read even the most basic synopsis of the film you know this. Hell, if you have seen the poster for the film you probably know this.

It isn’t really even a big twist. It isn’t like Alien where the reveal of a character being an android changes everything. Iris being a robotic companion is kind of central to the entire film.

And yet for the first twenty minutes or so the film makes out like she’s real. We see her and her boyfriend/owner Josh (Jack Quaid) hold hands and talk sweet. We see her memories of their meet cute. She’s nervous about spending the weekend with his friends, afraid they won’t like her. Etc. It seems like they are a real couple, like she is a real human. But also something is off. The filmmaking has an ominous tone. At least one character makes a winking comment about who she really is.

And then they reveal she’s a robot as if it is a bit surprise.

This isn’t really a complaint. I don’t mind the way they rolled out that reveal and if you managed to see the film completely blind it might be a fun surprise. I just find that kind of thing fascinating from a marketing point of view as it would be difficult to make a trailer of this film without spoiling that aspect of it.

There are other surpsrises in store for the audience later in the film. Ones I found quite interesting and won’t spoil. Let’s just say things turn a bit dark and violent.

Using a female companion robot as a way to discuss misogyny isn’t new. I was reminded of last year’s Subservience quite a lot with this film. Companion doesn’t have anything particularly interesting to say about the subject either.

Yet I still quite enjoyed the film. It has that slick quality a lot of modern horror films have. It feels pre-packaged in a way, like it was built by a corporation and not a filmmaker with a singular vision. It is very well made. The acting is good. The script does a nice job of balancing the horror, the action, and the comedy. The characters all seem sort of self aware and say things like “You’re an emotional support robot that fucks.” and Josh’s pet name for Iris is Beep Boop.

I enjoyed myself, but in a week I’ll struggle to recall anything about it.