Even with its unique blending of genres, there are a number of movies likeCompanionthat fans can seek out. WhileCompanionis the kind of movie that is best experienced with as little knowledge as possible, it is impossible to talk about it without spoiling the early twist that Iris is an AI girlfriend designed to love Josh unconditionally.
There has been a rise in AI-centered horror movies and thrillers, withCompaniontaking a fresh approach. It also leans into the dark humor with acast of colorful characters inCompanionmaking up this group of friends who reveal themselves to be hilariously self-centered. The filmalso uses these big genre aspects to tell a more layered story with allegories about toxic and controlling relationships leading intoCompanion’sclimactic ending for Iris and Josh. With all these aspects that makeCompanionspecial, there are also a number of other movies that deliver the same kind of genre-bending fun.
Companion’s Iris makes for the latest in a long line of terrific AI movie characters, exploring the near-future possibilities of what kind of strange leaps technology could make. However, one of the most complex characters of this kind is Ava fromEx Machina. The sci-fi thriller stars Domhnall Gleeson as Caleb, an employee at a tech company who is invited to the isolated mansion of his boss, Nathan (Oscar Isaac). With just the two of them there, Caleb is invited to meet the state-of-the-art AI creation Nathan developed, named Ava (Alicia Vikander).
Ava and Iris differ significantly as Ava is fully aware she is a creation and resents her cruel creator, while Iris is exposed to her reality and must fight against her programming to love and obey Josh. However,despite also having very different tones, with their isolated settings and their themes of gender dynamics, there are a lot of similarities between the two movies. They also both challenge the audience to cheer for the AI creation over the humans.
Companionisn’t the only wild horror-comedy to already come out in 2025, asA24’s new horror movieDeath of a Unicorn, has surprisingly similar vibes. Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega star as a father and daughter who travel to visit Rudd’s wealthy employer’s estate and meet his self-centered family. However, when they accidentally run over a unicorn on the drive, they become targeted by the mystic yet terrifying creatures.
Death of a Unicornleans more into fantasy than sci-fi asCompaniondoes, but the movies have very similar vibes in terms of humor and plot. The villainous characters are proven to be greedy monsters themselves, with Will Poulter’s hilarious rich heir feeling very similar toCompanion’s villainous Josh. It is also another movie where the isolated setting of a luxury estate in the woods provides the perfect place for mayhem to ensue without the rest of the world interfering.
Companionoffers a lot of interesting commentary on relationships, with the dynamic of Iris and Josh using the unique sci-fi element to explore the idea of toxic relationships. For those looking for a horror movie about toxic relationships, few are as brilliant and acclaimed as Ari Aster’sMidsommar. Florence Pugh stars as Dani, a young woman dealing with a horrific trauma who joins her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), and his friends on a trip to a Swedish cult festival where the locals have sinister plans of their own.
WhileMidsommaris a cult horror movie, it is also an exploration of a woman trapped in a selfish relationship. Christian is not a brutal or evil boyfriend, but his careless and mean-spirited behavior is more subtle and grounded.Midsommaris certainly more of a harrowing experience compared to the fun ofCompanion, but it is interesting to see the overlap in Iris and Dani’s respective journeys.
Companionis a movie that is not afraid to throw curveballs at the audience with its wild shifts in story. When the movie begins, it would be easy to assume that this is going to be a romantic-comedy of some sort, with the relationship of Iris and Josh offering a charming and light vibe, only for things to take a sudden, violent turn. This drastic switch is pulled off with even more boldness in the movieFresh.
Once again, the movie begins like a fairly typical rom-com, following Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) as she struggles with the modern dating world only to meet a seemingly perfect man in Steve (Sebastian Stan). However, his dark side is soon revealed through his sickening appetites. LikeCompanion,it also manages to balance some comedy even as the story gets darker, butFresh’s endingmirrors the crowd-pleasing conclusion ofCompanionwith the brutalized protagonist fighting back.
The sci-fi elements ofCompanionmake it a fun and unique ride, butYou’re Nextfeels quite similar while being a more traditional and grounded horror movie.You’re Nextfollows a wealthy family and their guests who get together in their isolated cottage for an evening, only to find themselves under attack by a group of masked killers. However, an unexpected element is that one of the guests, Erin (Sharni Vinson), proves to be more of a survivor than they anticipated.
You’re Nextis a bloodier movie thanCompanion, with some truly gruesome kills. However, it still manages to include a fair bit of dark humor throughout.
You’re Nextis a bloodier movie thanCompanion, with some truly gruesome kills. However, it still manages to include a fair bit of dark humor throughout.Erin makes for a terrific hero, similar to Iris, with the audience rooting for these charactersas they prove themselves more capable than the villains anticipated.
Companionuses its AI relationship at the center of the story to delve into the themes of control and a person’s willingness to fight for their freedom. This is also explored in another wild genre-bending horror movie from this year, withBorderline. Samara Weaving stars as Sofia, a famous pop star in the 1990s who finds her home invaded by an obsessive stalker, Duerson (Ray Nicholson), who is convinced that they should get married.
While the dynamic between the two main characters inBorderlineis obviously extreme,likeCompanion, it takes this larger-than-life scenario to speak to the real relationship dynamics that exist. Duerson and Josh are two men with different mindsets and motivations, but they are both led by the feeling that they are owed control in this situation. Meanwhile, Iris and Sofia exemplify the kind of fight women and the survival instincts women need to have to escape such relationships.
Companionis a horror movie that subverts expectations of AI characters, making the audience cheer for Iris even at the expense of the human characters.Upgradeis another movie with an intriguing AI character but with a much more complex story, filled with twists. Logan Marshall-Green stars as Grey, a paralyzed man who allows his experimental AI helper to take over his entire body in order to hunt down the people who shot him and killed his wife.
Upgradeis a sci-fi action movie in many ways, with a number of thrilling action sequences. However, these also lead to kills so brutal that they can very well be classified as a horror movie.Upgradealso grows darker as the story continues and the truth about the AI system becomes clearer.
One of the most popular robot movie characters to come out in recent years is M3GAN,the titular AI doll in the surprise hit from 2022.M3GANtells the story of a young girl who loses both of her parents and is gifted with the state-of-the-art M3GAN as a way of helping her cope. However, as M3GAN takes her job as the young girl’s friend and protector too seriously, she begins to turn deadly in ensuring that she is happy.
While Iris is a human-like AI creation who has a personality and is sympathetic, M3GAN is hilariously creepy and is emotionless in her brutality, which eventually comes. However, there is also a quality to M3GAN that makes her likable, which is perhaps why they are going theTerminator 2route andmaking M3GAN the hero in the sequel.
Blink Twiceis another thriller that avoids the sci-fi elements that makeCompanionso special but still manages to touch on similar themes. Naomi Ackie stars as Frida, a mild-mannered girl whose random encounter with tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) gets her an invite to his private island. However, in the drug-fueled parties with him and his friends, she begins to uncover a dark secret about why she is there.
Like Iris inCompanion, Frida gradually uncovers the reality of her situation.Blink Twiceis more of a slowburn mystery with the pieces gradually falling into place, and like Josh inCompanion, some of the people are not as virtuous as they seem. Fans should be warned that, despite a good deal of humor, the reveal inBlink Twiceis quite disturbing, but it also makes for strong commentary overall.
Companiongoes for the classic setup of isolating characters in a specific location and then having the bloody mayhem unfold. WhereasCompaniontakes the story into a wooded mansion,Ready or Nottakes place on a grand estate of a wealthy family whose son just got married to a more grounded wife, Grace (Samara Weaving). However, the wedding night takes an unusual turn as Grace is required to take part in an ancient family tradition where she must play a game of hide and seek with deadly consequences.
Ready or Notis another horror movie that fully embraces the comedy of its gory story,withmodern horror movie queen Samara Weavingdelivering a hilarious performance even as she is running for her life. Like Iris, Grace is a hero the audience finds easy to root for as she fights for survival. It also features a twist that suggests the caring boyfriend is not the gentleman he seems to be.
