Companion (2025) | REVIEW

A burning Iris (played by Sophie Thatcher) sitting across from Josh (played by Jack Quaid) in COMPANION — PHOTO: Warner Bros. Pictures (still image from trailers).

Directed by Drew Hancock — Screenplay by Drew Hancock.

In the marketing for this film (more on this later), trailers have highlighted the fact that this new genre-bendy flick is the product of the studio behind The Notebook, arguably the most well-known American romance film, and the creators of Barbarian, the hugely surprising horror film with multiple tricks up its sleeves from 2022. It’s a good marketing narrative that does communicate the film’s genre fluidity from one thing to another from certain scenes to certain scenes. But, in actuality, this is the brainchild of writer-director Drew Hancock, a Blue Mountain State writer, who, to be honest, has crafted something quite entertaining for his feature directorial debut. 

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Smile 2 (2024) | REVIEW

Naomi Scott in Parker Finn’s SMILE 2 — PHOTO: Paramount Pictures (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Parker Finn — Screenplay by Parker Finn.

Set only days after the events of the original film, Parker Finn’s Smile 2 follows Skye Riley (played by Naomi Scottt), a genuine pop star, who is trying to improve her image as she prepares to go on tour following a very public struggle with rehabilitation from substance abuse and the traumatic car crash that she was in, which took the life of her boyfriend (played by Ray Nicholson) and which she is still in pain from. She is constantly supervised by her mother (played by Rosemarie DeWitt) and her team of assistants, and so, because of her history with substance abuse, when she needs painkillers from an injury she sustained, she feels compelled to do it behind their backs. However, when she secretly visits an acquaintance who also happens to be a drug dealer (played by Lukas Gage), everything goes wrong, as he is clearly troubled and he goes on to brutally kill himself whilst brandishing a disturbing smile. Desperate to cover her tracks, she rushes out and refuses to mention what she witnessed to anyone, but what she becomes gradually more and more aware of is that something was passed to her, and soon she starts to witness crazy things from people smiling creepily. 

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