paulclaassen

With technology advancing at the rapid rate it does, we're bound to see more films dealing with this subject matter: A. I. (Artificial Intelligence). Not just that, but also smart applications (smart cars, smart homes, smart phones, etc.).

'Companion' takes this familiar premise to another level, with a well set-up premise, good dialogue, and a clever play with keywords. With a well written script and convincing performances, the film works so well. It is funny, disturbing, suspenseful, thrilling, and - above all - it has a very strong survival element. Not in the way you might think, but you'll understand when you see the film.

Couple Josh and Iris go to an isolated lake house owned by the wealthy Sergey. They are joined by their friends, a gay couple Patrick and Eli, and Kat - who doesn't like Iris very much. Things quickly spins out of control when Iris wanders to the lake by herself, where Sergey forces himself onto her.

Judging by the poster and the film's premise I guess you already know Iris is A. I., but the twist here is the fact that she doesn't realize it. Sounds crazy? Well, it is perfectly justified. But wait, there's more. There are even bigger surprises in store as the story unfolds, and we realize Josh had plans of his own.

'Companion' is a fantasy mystery thriller that captivated me from beginning to end, with good performances from the entire cast. I also loved the idea that the film was shot on location - even the lake house - and not in a studio. I really enjoyed this.

Oh, boy, this was bad. The script and its execution was bad . Lets be fair; every single film deserves credit for the mere fact it got made, not matter how bad.

Natalie is the only survivor of a group of teenage friends who were attacked by monsters. The police doesn't believe her bizarre story. Steven, who goes to school with Natalie, has a crush on her, and a convenient situation arises for him to get acquainted with her.

Paula, an amateur film maker, is intrigued by Natalie's story and decide to do some investigation of her own. By chance, she manages to capture footage of the monsters, but once home she noticed the camera did not record. She decides to team up with Natalie and Steven to obtain proof of the monsters' existence, but soon find themselves being hunted by the monsters.

I have so many issues with the movie, I don't even know where to begin. The most obvious is the bad dialogue, I suppose, and the bad acting from bystanders, who most of the time appeared to be oblivious to the monsters right in front of them! Shortly after Paula killed a monster in her home, she complained about her camera not recording, stating the tape would have provided proof. Sorry, what?? So what happened to the dead monster in your home?? Surely a body would be enough evidence??

None of the characters acted realistically given their circumstances. The morning after Natalie and Steven were almost killed by the monsters, they acted as if nothing happened.

How did the monsters always know where to find Natalie and Paula? Did they have a way of tracking them? And even so, why did they even follow them? And why would the monsters go to the school dance and weave through the crowd just to find Natalie and Paula?

Speaking of the monsters. Some of them acted like humans, so were they human once? Are they deformed humans? Humanoids? Hybrids? Aliens? You can't have antagonists purely for the sake of antagonists. We have to at least know something about them. All we know about them, is that they can't get wet.

'Neon Maniacs' is just bad writing from beginning to end. The Lieutenant is also a seriously weak and two-dimensional character who contributed nothing to the film. And they also forced a love story into this mess, which - by the way - wasn't the least bit believable or remotely romantic. In general the film was more laughable than suspenseful - and I don't mean in a funny way. Hell, this won't even work as a comedy!

On a positive note, some of the practical effects and make-up were really good.