Companion Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Companion Blu-ray Movie Review

We need to talk about Iris.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 27, 2025

Artificial intelligence is hardly new fodder for movies, with enduring examples dating back to the great Terminator 2 and even decades before that with trailblazing productions like 2001. More modern fare such as Her, Ex Machina, and obviously A.I. (in descending order of greatness) have attempted to thread the needle differently by trading in "good vs. evil" for ruminations on robot rights, individuality, and mankind's treatment of its own creation. Writer-director Drew Hancock's first feature-length film Companion lands comfortably within the latter group yet still clearly flirts with broad mainstream appeal, lacing a few high-concept ideas with traditional horror/thriller tropes and plenty of fun twists along the way. It's not a flawless fusion, but there's a lot to like here providing you go in mostly blind.

To remain completely spoiler-free, go ahead and watch the movie without reading either my lightly detailed synopsis (written as part of my separate 4K review) or Brian Orndorf's more detailed theatrical coverage.

Budgeted at just $10M, Companion proved to be a decent little hit despite its foreboding January release date, and a second surprise arrives with Warner Bros.' decision to actually grant it a 4K release in addition to the separate Blu-ray; that's sadly no longer a given these days. Both contain proportionately solid A/V presentations but are sadly light on bonus features, yet the solid strength of the film itself grants Companion an easy pass on either format.

Companion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As usual, please see my separate 4K review for a general idea of Companion's visual aesthetic, which in this case pairs deep-focus cinematography with colors that seem bold and accurate without necessarily feeling "punchy" all the time. While I'll certainly give Warner Bros.' UHD the obvious edge in a head-to-head competition (after all, Companion is a native 4K production), the studio's Blu-ray edition respectably holds its own from start to finish. As seen in these direct-from-disc screenshots, it flirts with format boundaries by consistently offering crisp and well-defined visuals, accurate colors, and excellent fine detail during close-ups and wide shots alike. Disc encoding is quite good too, as Companion plays at a healthy bit rate on this dual-layered disc and doesn't suffer from visible compression issues such as banding, posterization, or macro blocking. It's fine work and a rare 5/5 Blu-ray for the studio (unless we're including Warner Archive), and for obvious reasons will be more than acceptable for those not yet equipped for the newer format.

Companion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Blu-ray contains the same Dolby Atmos mix as heard on the 4K edition, so read my linked review for more details. Please note that this Blu-ray contains far fewer foreign subtitle options, though the Region A basics are covered.

Companion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art, a matching matte-finish slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption code. The light extras s are identical to the 4K edition and include three 4-5 minute featurettes with participation from actors Jack Quaid, Sophie Thatcher, Harvey Guillén and Lukas Gage, as well as director Drew Hancock, costume designer Vanessa Porter, and other key members of the crew.

• I Feel, Therefore I Am - A general overview of the film's story, themes, and characters, as seen though a handful of interviews and on-set footage. It's fairly promotional in nature but worth a look.

• Love, Eli - Eli and Patrick's relationship is compared and contrasted with that of Iris and Josh in this like-minded piece. Oddly enough, though, all the goddamn swear words are fuckin' bleeped out.

• AI Horror - Similar to the first piece, this general featurette offers a slightly more in-depth examination of certain character motivations as well as a welcome look at the film's use of practical and visual effects.

Companion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Writer-director Drew Hancock's Companion is a subversive and engaging sci-fi thriller with elements of horror and comedy as well as a boatload of twists and turns along the way. It's a little light on actual story and contains a few nagging plot holes but easily gets by thanks to terrific performances, strong cinematography, great music, and well-done special effects. This is the kind of movie that works best if you go in blind yet it should still hold up to repeat viewings, which means that Warner Bros.' separate 4K and Blu-ray editions are worth a purchase depending on your format of choice. Each boasts proportionately solid A/V merits and only a few extras. Firmly Recommended.