Jack Quaid, the young actor mostly known for his roles in Amazon Prime Video’s superhero show The Boys, is back in the horror realm after starring in 2022’s Scream. His newest film, Companion, opens today in theaters all across the globe. Although the movie is extremely different from what Scream represented for the offspring of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, Jack feels his character in Companion is quite similar to the one he portrayed in the slasher film.
Quaid refers to his characters, Richie from Scream and Josh from Companion, as “just two insecure man babies, just sharing a pint.” Directed by Drew Hancock in his feature debut, Companion falls under the AI horror genre. The story follows Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Quaid), a young couple planning a weekend getaway in a very remote mansion owned by a Russian millionaire, Sergey (Rupert Friend). Cat, Sergey’s partner, invites her friends over to the mansion. Initially, Iris is socially awkward, but she makes an effort to fit in. However, after the first night, she takes a walk and has an encounter that completely alters the plans for the weekend.
As the plot unfolds, it is eventually revealed that Iris is, in fact, a robot, but that’s as far as we’ll go with the spoilers. Quaid breathes life into Josh, Iris’ seemingly perfect boyfriend, who aspires to make his friends like her. Nevertheless, there’s a sinister side to Josh. In his conversation with Digital Spy, Quaid emphasizes that his character’s early insecurity mirrors that of Richie from Scream, noting, “Richie, all I’m doing in that movie is, I’m trying to make sure the audience doesn’t get wise to me. I’m trying to make sure that they don’t know that I’m secretly the bad guy.” Quaid explains that while Richie wanted to be a ‘Scream’ killer, Josh is an antagonist who remains oblivious to his role.
Speaking further about his character, Quaid elaborates, “You know more or less from the beginning of the movie that he’s the antagonist, and what I loved about the writing for him, and a big reason why I wanted to do the movie, was he was not a scenery-chewing villain.” Quaid appreciates that Josh is simply a guy with a problem, and his insecurities create a stark contrast to traditional horror villains. He explains, “I think a lesser version of this movie would have had Josh as the protagonist and Iris is going crazy and Josh has to save the day, but I just love that the villain is the human.” He goes on to say that Josh is “definitely one of the most insecure people I’ve ever played in my life,” wishing to embody empathy for the character even when he makes morally reprehensible choices.
Companion represents the latest entry in a horror subgenre that has gained momentum in recent years: AI horror. This category typically features a sentient machine recognizing its need to oppose humans, playing to society’s ongoing fascination with advanced technology. While these machines simplify our lives, they’re also a source of ethical debates, raising questions like, are our lives genuinely better because of AI? Critics are curious to see how effectively director Drew Hancock tackles this theme.
Movies like Companion go beyond the typical narrative of “robot harms humans.” This film conveys a deeper message about human empathy and the potential for people to become the monsters in their own stories. Although Iris is an android, discussions about her treatment unveil unsettling truths about human nature. Ultimately, Companion distinguishes itself by confronting audiences with the uncomfortable notion of who the true monster in the narrative actually is, and Jack Quaid stands firmly in revealing that truth.