I feel compelled to begin this review with an urgent warning about the trailers and some official synopses for Companion. I understand that, nowadays, it’s almost impossible to walk into a theater knowing absolutely nothing about the film in question. Whether through social media or the studio’s own marketing department, keeping the key elements of a new release completely secret is extremely rare. Unfortunately, Drew Hancock’s feature-length directorial and screenwriting debut is negatively impacted by a shameful, seriously damaging advertising campaign that may hinder the movie’s overall success.

The creative narrative concept that defines Companion is ridiculously presented and explained in every trailer released so far, stripping away a massive surprise factor from a film that, when seen for the first time on the big screen with no prior knowledge, promises a shocking and genuinely bewildering experience. This completely transforms expectations regarding the direction the story will take,...