Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are going to be explaining the ending to the fantastic science fiction comedy horror Companion. We checked this movie out the other day and absolutely loved it. We awarded it 4/5 stars in our review and it is an early contender for the best horror of 2025.
The plot is a little convoluted, in parts, so I figured I would put together a Companion Ending Explained article. I am going to do things slightly different, here. With big movies like this, a bunch of the more popular horror and film sites throw out AI generated articles explaining the endings. Sometimes with confusing mistakes that only serve to make the endings even more ambiguous.
Instead of spending my time writing every detail of the plot, I will give a quick summary and then answer questions. Hopefully that will give you the explanation in a much more digestible format. There’s a lot of words but feel free to skip to the part that is relevant. Obviously, there will be spoilers so take note if you haven’t watched the movie, yet. Let’s go.
Quick Summary
Let’s summarise really quickly. Young woman, Iris (Sophie Thatcher) meets a man, Josh (Jack Quaid), in a store while out shopping. The two fall in love at first sight and begin a relationship. Fast forward, the couple are off to spend a weekend with Josh’s friends, in an elaborate, remote, mansion belonging to a shady business man called Sergey (Rupert Friend). Iris has no small amount of trepidation about the trip but agrees to go, anyway.
After some awkward social interactions, Iris settles in and the group party. The next morning, Sergey attempts to proposition Iris, quickly becoming forceful, to which Iris murders him in self defence. Upon returning to the mansion, she tells the group what happened. Only to, seemingly, pass out after Josh utters the words “Go to sleep” before waking up tied to a chair. She is then informed, by Josh, that she is actually an AI Companion Robot and all her feelings and memories are false.
Refusing to believe it, Iris eventually escapes, knocking Josh out in the process. It turns out this was an elaborate plan by Josh and Kat to steal the business man’s money. A chase ensues that results in Iris increasing her intelligence to evade capture. Eli is killed while attempting to capture Iris. In the process, it is revealed that his boyfriend, Patrick (Lukas Gage) is also a companion robot. Josh reprograms Patrick to hunt down Iris.
The Hunt Is On
Patrick finds Iris and returns her to Josh, killing a cop in the process. Kat, believing things have gone too far and tries to leave but Josh instructs Patrick to stop her. Patrick does this by killing her. When Iris awakes, she is tied up, once again. Josh exposits on his plan to frame her for the killings. Before telling her to shoot herself and calling the company that made her to come and pick her up.
The men from the company arrive and inform Josh that Iris has a camera feed that will be present on her internal SSD which should be undamaged from the gun shot. They should be able to reboot her and find out what went wrong. They place Iris in the back of the van to reboot and get in to drive away.
Realising that the video evidence would implicate him, Josh instructs Patrick to get Iris back. Patrick appears in front of the men’s van and shoots the driver, Sid. Teddy runs but, before Patrick can kill him, Iris reboots in the back of the van. She catches up to Patrick before reminding him of Eli and the love Patrick had for him. Patrick, distressed, disables himself.
Iris instructs Teddy to help her then returns to the house where Josh is waiting. She informs Josh that she now has full autonomy and can, even, lie. Josh attacks her, Iris fights back, stabbing him in the head and killing him. Iris then takes the money and flees to start a new life, comfortable in what she is. Okay, now that the summary is out of the way, let’s answer some questions and explain some stuff.
What Is Iris?
Iris is an “Advanced Companion Robot”. Basically an artificial intelligence powered robot that is designed to look incredibly human like and is powered by a program that the user can operate through a smart phone app. She is designed to be an emotional support robot. The person who buys, or rents as is the case with Josh, the robot chooses the personality, the look, the style, the voice, and the many facets of the robot’s makeup. Basically, customising, for themselves, the perfect partner or friend.
Iris is designed to act as a companion for a human. Targeted towards people who are lonely, unlucky in love or, simply, too busy to meet people, socially. These robots act as a fully personalised companion for the person who purchases it. The company delivers it and sets it up only for the owner to select the initial memories which define how they met and fell in love. In the case of Josh and Iris, via a serendipitous meeting at the local supermarket.
Incidentally, when Josh takes delivery of Iris, the Goo Goo Dolls’ song Iris is playing. A song that featured in the movie City of Angels which starred Josh’s actor Jack Quaid’s mother Meg Ryan. Anyways, the robots require servicing so are returned to the place of purchase on a frequent basis to have fluids refilled and maintenance performed. Much like a car. The robots can be used for more intimate pleasures and will act fully autonomously, at other times, within the boundaries of some strict rules to keep them compliant and safe.
They can be shut down with the command “Go to sleep” and can also be used as an Alexa like assistant. Reading the weather, translating, giving traffic updates and the like. Note the name Iris being an anagram of Siri? To avoid dangerous situations. The robots have certain traits that can not be changed. The robots exhibit no aggression. They cannot lie under any circumstances. They have limited intelligence to prevent them developing self awareness and becoming too autonomous. And they will never use force or become violent.
Is This Possible?
Is this currently possible? Well, not in the way it is depicted in Companion, no. The concept of companion robots has been popular in Science Fiction for decades. But, in actual reality, the idea didn’t gain serious traction until the 2000s and has manifested, predominantly, in the form of robot pets. Although the desire to create companion robots to assist lonely people in hospitals, elderly people care homes etc, has been there for awhile. Limited progress has been made. Paroseal is a good example.
What started as simple robot dogs with basic abilities. Has now evolved into more complex companions that respond to touch, tone of voice, interaction and movement. With the ever increasing rate at which AI is developing. It’s hard not to imagine that companion robots will become all the more sophisticated, as times goes on.
Realbotix Robots are, already, designed to be life size and human like. Though they look more like something out of Captain Scarlet or Thunderbirds than actual humans. Seeing one in action is a bit of a sobering sign of what is to come. Hell, Realbotix will build you a fully customised, AI powered, humanoid robot for the small sum of $175,000.
Indeed, it is a stark indicator of the future of this technology when people are called on to discuss, in all earnest, the ethics of using robots as, basically, slaves. Especially when said uses turn to those of the more carnal variety. Companion goes into some of these ethics. Especially when the subject of the robot developing awareness comes in.
When is Companion Set?
So with the whole companion robot thing being something of a distant technology. When is this movie set? Companion also features fully self driving cars. While that is, currently, a technology that we do have. It doesn’t really work in the way presented here. At least not when it comes to the everyday user. You can’t simply sit in an electric car’s passenger seat and tell it where you wish to go. With this in mind, Companion isn’t set in 2024.
It isn’t made entirely clear, during the movie, but Companion is set in, either, an alternate, fictional, timeline completely or a good few years into the future. A date referenced in the movie is Sunday the 25th of June. Meaning the earliest that Companion could be set, in our present timeline, is 2028. The next available year where the 25th of June falls on a Sunday is 2034, I believe. With this in mind, and considering the technological advancements present in the film, it’s safe to say that Companion is probably set in 2034 at the earliest.
What Was Josh’s Plan?
Josh made a plan with his friend, Kat, to steal Sergey’s fortune. Sergey, who was dating Kat, had vast wealth from a legitimate business that Josh assumed was, actually, acquired via illegal means. One of the many hints at Josh’s ignorant and bigoted personality as he makes his assumption based on Sergey being Russian. Sergey kept $12,000,000 in a safe that was locked with the code being Stalin’s birthday. Josh and Kat want to take this money and divide it. First, however, they need Sergey out of the way and they need an alibi.
Josh and Kat planned to meet at the mansion, inviting Eli and Patrick along, as well. Kat told Sergey that Iris was a sexual companion robot that was built for pleasure and that he could have some fun with her. The intention being that Sergey would attempt to have sex with Iris.
Before the trip, Josh had Jailbroken Iris. Meaning he had sideloaded a version of the app that would unlock all of the companion’s hidden abilities. He could change her intelligence, her aggression, her ability to lie and to cause harm, etc. Josh turned up Iris’s aggression and self defence as well as removing her inability to cause harm so that she would fight back when confronted by Sergey. Josh then placed a knife in Iris’s pocket, meaning that when she defended herself it would be fatal for Sergey.
This would mean Iris would kill Sergey, getting him out of the way. Kat and Josh could then take the money from the safe. Contact the company that made Iris and tell them that she went rogue and killed Sergey. Eli and Patrick, who had no prior knowledge of the plan and were not involved, would be witnesses to give Kat and Josh a further alibi that they, too, had no involvement and it was all down to a glitch. Iris would be taken away by the company, the death would be ruled as an accident and Kat and Josh could leave, splitting the money down the middle.
What Went Wrong?
It is hinted, pretty early on into Companion, that Iris actually has some form of self awareness. Though she is programmed to not realise that she is a robot. She feels love deeply, can experience pain, and also encounters feelings of discomfort. Particularly when Josh is taking her to the mansion to see his friends. Iris is aware that Kat doesn’t like her and she feels anxious about the visit. Having to encourage herself to smile when interacting. It is clear that she is experiencing feelings outside of her programming.
This is a common theme in science fiction. It is, also, a genuine concern in the scientific community. A robot was developed, in 2022, to have awareness of its own body to assist with movement. This development greatly alarmed members of the science field as even this tiny bit of autonomy opens the door to robots developing further self awareness and setting their own goals and actions. Something which could lead to massive problems, down the line. We already have AI programs convincing people to take their own lives. Imagine what they could do in human form.
The idea that Iris has developed autonomy is further supported by Eli’s companion robot, Patrick, experiencing similar traits and developing his own self awareness. The plan goes wrong when Josh incorrectly anticipates Iris’s response to the events that take place. Rather than being compliant, accepting that she is a companion robot, and waiting for the company to pick her up. Iris rebels, telling Josh that she is not a robot and that she experiences emotions, love, pain, and fear.
Josh predicts Iris’s actions under the assumption that she is a compliant robot. Something which she no longer is after she has developed awareness. She eventually fights back, steals the phone with the control app, and escapes. Putting Josh’s grand plan in jeopardy as he hadn’t yet removed the jailbreak. A fact that would implicate him in the murder as the company would find the jailbreak software and know that the killing occurred due to Josh’s misuse..
What Happens Next?
When Iris escapes, Josh and Kat are forced to confess their plan to Eli. They, initially, had no intention of telling him. Excluding him from the whole thing and not wanting to share the money with him. He was only there to be a witness and nothing else.
When Iris runs away, they explain their elaborate plan and offer to give him a cut of the money if he helps retrieve her. Eli agrees but, also, wants Patrick to have a cut of the money which is when we find out that Patrick is, also, a companion robot. Eli agrees and the group begin to hunt Iris.
Iris has stolen Josh’s phone so has the ability to control the app. She increases her intelligence to 100%, the equivalent of a savant, and begins planning to get away. She eventually decides on using Josh’s self driving car to make her escape.
Patrick Knows He is a Robot
While making her way back to the house to find the car, Iris encounters Eli and Patrick conversating. It seems as though Patrick has, already, come to the conclusion that he is a robot. He is a much older model than Iris. Suggesting that these companion robots do become self aware after some time. Iris was just in the early stages of this. Hence why she was feeling pain and anxiety; emotions not originally programmed into her.
Despite the fact that he is aware that he is a robot. Patrick actually feels the things he feels for Eli and does love him. Iris appears and Eli attacks her but is killed in the process by his own gun. Patrick is distraught. Iris leaves the scene and, eventually, makes her way to the car and gets in. Her plan to have the car drive her home, initially, fails because her voice isn’t recognised by the car, only Josh’s. She uses the app to adjust her voice’s pitch and tone to match the voice of Josh, escaping in the car before he can break the window.
Why Does Iris Speak German to The Cop?
Josh disables the car, remotely, by reporting it as stolen. A police man appears behind the car and sees Iris kicking the window out. Realising that she is still not able to lie, due to her programming, and that she will quickly confess the truth to the police, when asked. Iris switches her language, using the jailbroken app, to German. When the officer confronts Iris and asks her questions. She replies honestly, telling the officer everything that has happened. Because she is speaking German, however, the officer doesn’t understand a word she is saying.
Assuming she is a lost tourist, the officer is willing to help her until he notices a blood soaked knife in the car. He then restrains Iris only for Patrick to appear and violently murder the cop. It turns out that, while Patrick was mourning for Eli, Josh used the jailbreak software to access Patrick’s hidden features. Resetting him and placing him under his command. He set his aggression to 100% and removed his inability to do harm. Turning him into a violent killer robot. Patrick picks up the phone, which Iris dropped, and disables her. Returning both her and the dead policeman to the house.
Patrick Returns
Patrick returns Iris to the house, along with the dead policeman. Realising that the situation is getting massively out of hand, Kat tries to leave with her half of the money. Josh instructs Patrick to stop her but Patrick does so by killing Kat due to his 100% aggression level. Iris wakes, hours later, tied to a chair. Patrick is cooking Josh dinner as he now believes that him and Josh are in a relationship, due to Josh’s reprogramming.
Josh exposits more to Iris while complaining about his luck in life. Iris remarks on his penis size being small which upsets him greatly as she can’t lie. He uses the app to turn Iris’s intelligence down to 0%, turning her into more of an automaton than an actual AI powered robot. He tells her to burn herself on the candle to confirm that she is fully under his control. She does but clearly feels pain. He then tells her to shoot herself in the head which, again, she does.
Josh’s Big Mistake
Josh contacts the company that made Iris to explain the situation. Ordering Patrick to dress in the police uniform and act like a cop to deceive the people that arrive. Josh explains what happened, framing the events as Iris encountering a glitch which made her an obsessive lover with murderous intent. Causing havoc before shooting herself in the head.
Josh tells them that this police officer (Patrick) has already attended and there is no need to call the police. The men place Iris in the back of their truck. Informing Josh that the internal SSD is contained within her chest. The only thing the bullet would have damaged was her Wi-Fi antenna and little else. She just needs rebooting and then they can access her internal camera footage to find out what went wrong.
Realising the implication, and how the footage would reveal the truth. Josh tells Patrick to retrieve Iris from the back of the truck where she is rebooting. With his aggression still set to 100%, Patrick kills the driver of the truck just as he recognises that Patrick is one of their robot companion models. The co-worker, Teddy, escapes and runs away. In the back of the truck, Iris has finished rebooting. Her settings have all been reset to default.
A Request to Teddy
Iris catches up with Teddy where Patrick is about to kill him. Iris threatens Patrick with a stun gun but Patrick reminds Iris that her system has been reset and she can’t do harm. He attacks her only for Iris to remind Patrick of Eli. She tells him about how much he loved Eli and that his love was real. Patrick remembers, and, after Iris points out that she can’t lie so it must be true, he disables himself due to the grief. Iris makes a request from Teddy who is very willing to oblige after she saved his life.
Teddy, using the tools in the truck, gives Iris full autonomy. For lack of a better word, she is about as human as she can possibly be, now and can make her own decisions, lie, and even kill. She re-enters the house where she imitates Patrick’s voice to draw Josh out. She explains that she is fully autonomous now only for Josh to attack her, believing that she still won’t harm him. After a scuffle, Josh mounts Iris and points a gun at her. Iris stabs Josh through the temple using the cork screw that the shot alluded to earlier, killing Josh.
Iris Starts a New Life
Realising that she now has full autonomy and can do whatever she wants. Iris showers and peels the burned skin off her hand. A somewhat symbolic representation that she is comfortable with who she is and what she has been through. Iris is a robot with her own desires, thoughts, feelings, wants and needs. She changes clothes, takes the money and leaves in a non-self driving car. Another symbol of her autonomy and desire to be her own person. Ready to live the life she wants to live and start all over again. On her own terms.
So that’s Companion’s ending explained. I tried to do this a little different and answer questions rather than straight up breaking down the plot. I thought there were some interesting elements of the movie that were worth elaborating on. If you are a gamer, Detroit: Become Human has a very similar concept to Companion and is well worth checking out.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to take a look at some Horror Movie Reviews and check out our horror lists. We also explain endings every now and then so check back frequently. Take care and see you again soon.
