Heart Eyes. The screenplay by co-writers Phillip Murphy,
Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy is witty, smart and wickedly funny. The plot doesn't score any points for originality, but that's not an issue because it's more important how a film goes about its plot and where it takes its ideas to. Director Josh Ruben knows how to maintain the darkly comedic tone from the hilarious prologue to the very end while offering some surprises along the way. Everyone gets a chance to shine, even those in supporting roles like Devon Sawa as Detective Hobbs, Jordana Brewster as Detective Shaw and Michael Watkins as Ally and Jay's boss. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding are very well-cast and have palpable chemistry together.
Sometimes, horror comedies tend to run out of steam and get repetitive, but that doesn't happen in Heart Eyes because the dialogue brims with tongue-in-cheek humor and quips, and there are enough surprises to keep the plot feeling fresh and exciting. The film references His Girl Friday, Notting Hill and other romcoms that it unashamedly pokes a lot of fun at. Moreover, it's refreshing that Ally and Jay are each given lively personalities and backstories that humanizes them, i.e. that Ally dropped out of Med School because of her fear of blood. Speaking of which, Heart Eyes doesn't hold back on the gory violence with some hilarious and over-the-top kills, so it definitely earns its R-rating. The tone remains consistently off-kilter, though, so it's the violence that will keep audiences entertained without making them feel disgusted. At 1 hour and 37 minutes, Heart Eyes is now on VOD via Screen Gems. It deserves to become a new horror comedy classic.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
Josh (Jack Quaid) takes his girlfriend, Iris (Sophie Thatcher), to a weekend getaway with his friends, Eli (Harvey Guillén), Kat (Megan Suri) and Patrick (Lukas Gage) at the large lakeside cabin belonging to Sergey (Rupert Friend), a very wealthy man, in Companion. The less you know about Companion's plot beforehand, the better. Don't watch the trailer or read anything beyond a brief synopsis. The screenplay writer/director Drew Hancock is clever, witty and full of surprises. Sometimes a filmmaker has an interesting and innovative premise, but doesn't know what to do with it and the film runs out of steam and ideas. That's not the case here. Once the plot reveals its first twists within the first ten minutes, there are more twists that keep the plot feeling engaging while keeping the audience at the edge of the seats. Small details, like two words that Josh says to Iris in the car on the way to the cabin, become more significant later on. Kudos to Hancock for seeing and treating the characters as complex human beings and for not being afraid to explore the darker side of human nature.
Companion's greatest strength is that it deftly combines thriller, sci-fi, comedy, psychological horror and campiness without tonal unevenness or tonal whiplash. It also does an effective job of incorporating just enough exposition without confusing the audience. Hancock knows when and how to withhold key information from the audience and when to reveal it. Sure, some suspension of disbelief would probably help to fully enjoy it, but that can be said about most films. Beyond that, Companion has a lot to say about topics like individuality, freedom and autonomy without becoming preachy. It's rare and refreshing to find a Hollywood blockbuster that actually has a heart, mind and soul. In other words, writer/director Drew Hancock finds just the right balance between Truth and Spectacle and manages to find plenty of Truths within all of the Spectacle. The use of music is lively and well-chosen, especially the song during the end credits. Prepare for a roller coaster ride full of twists and turns. It also boasts a star-making performances by Sophie Thatcher who's somewhat reminiscent of Fairuza Balk from The Craft with a sprinkle of Aubrey Plaza. Jack Quaid, Harvey Guillén and Lukas Gage also get the chance to shine. Companion is ultimately a wildly entertaining, smart and wickedly funny crowd pleaser that's destined to become a cult classic. At 1 hour and 37 minutes, it's now on VOD via Warner Bros. Pictures.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
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