One can also safely discuss its cast, one that includes Jack Quaid of The Boys fame, whose ability to effectively play someone clueless is used to full effect here but not in the way you would think. Equally, Sophie Thatcher whose character in the hit TV show Yellowjackets is known for her resourcefulness gets to play opposite traits until…

The structure of the film is one of its strong points as well and it introduces you to a case of young love that is quite endearing unit it isn’t. It dips its toes into a predictable scenario to lure you into seeing it as something it really isn’t. This forms an engaging slight of hand but one enhanced by a lack of information.

Hopefully so far so good with this review, you should now still know very little but have your interest piqued. With its ever changing perspective, you will only know if Companion is a modern love story or horror story by film’s end. Regardless of its ultimate destination you will be entertained throughout the journey.
Rob Hudson
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Written and directed by Drew Hancock (“My Dead Ex”, “Suburgatory”), “Companion” stars Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”, “The Boogeyman”), Jack Quaid (“The Boys”, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), Lukas Gage (“Smile 2”, “Dead Boy Detectives”), Megan Suri (“Never Have I Ever”, “It Lives Inside”), Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”, “Blue Beetle”) and Rupert Friend (“High Desert”, “Asteroid City”). The film is produced by the filmmakers behind “Barbarian”—Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Zach Cregger and Roy Lee. The executive producers are Tracy Rosenblum and Jamie Buckner.

The cinematographer is Eli Born (“The Boogeyman”, “Hellraiser”). The production designer is Scott Kuzio (“Dumb Money”, the “Fear Street” trilogy). The editors are Brett W. Bachman (“The Fall of the House of Usher”, “Pig”) and Josh Ethier (“Don’t Move”, “Orphan: First Kill”). The costume designer is Vanessa Porter (“The Toxic Avenger”, “Archive 81”). The composer is Hrishikesh Hirway (“Song Exploder”, “Everything Sucks!”). The music supervisor is Rob Lowry (“Do Revenge”, “Miracle Workers”). The casting is by Nancy Nayor (“Saw X”, “Barbarian”).

New Line Cinema presents A BoulderLight Pictures Production, In Association With Vertigo Entertainment/Subconscious: “Companion.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, in Australian cinemas January 30 2025.
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Written and directed by Drew Hancock (“My Dead Ex”, “Suburgatory”), “Companion” stars Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”, “The Boogeyman”), Jack Quaid (“The Boys”, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), Lukas Gage (“Smile 2”, “Dead Boy Detectives”), Megan Suri (“Never Have I Ever”, “It Lives Inside”), Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”, “Blue Beetle”) and Rupert Friend (“High Desert”, “Asteroid City”). The film is produced by the filmmakers behind “Barbarian”—Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Zach Cregger and Roy Lee. The executive producers are Tracy Rosenblum and Jamie Buckner.

The cinematographer is Eli Born (“The Boogeyman”, “Hellraiser”). The production designer is Scott Kuzio (“Dumb Money”, the “Fear Street” trilogy). The editors are Brett W. Bachman (“The Fall of the House of Usher”, “Pig”) and Josh Ethier (“Don’t Move”, “Orphan: First Kill”). The costume designer is Vanessa Porter (“The Toxic Avenger”, “Archive 81”). The composer is Hrishikesh Hirway (“Song Exploder”, “Everything Sucks!”). The music supervisor is Rob Lowry (“Do Revenge”, “Miracle Workers”). The casting is by Nancy Nayor (“Saw X”, “Barbarian”).

New Line Cinema presents A BoulderLight Pictures Production, In Association With Vertigo Entertainment/Subconscious: “Companion.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, in Australian cinemas January 2025.
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Special advance screenings of the family comedy THE GARFIELD MOVIE will be held at select cinemas nationally to support this unique respite program for children with special needs. This year marks 25 years that Sony Foundation has funded the Children’s Holiday Camp Program. Sony Foundation Camps empower high school and university students to take on the responsibility for the full-time care of children with disability for three days and two nights, allowing their families to access critical respite. In 2024, 1,300+ students from 56 schools and universities around the country will provide the holiday of a lifetime for over 670 children with disability at no cost to their families/carers. Funds raised will ensure the program continues to grow and offer this extraordinary opportunity to more families around Australia.

The special screenings will take place from 10am* on Sunday, May 26 at Event Cinemas, Village Cinemas, Hoyts, Dendy, Reading, Wallis, Ace Cinemas, Limelight and United Cinemas*.

Ticket price is $10.00 (online booking fees may apply).

Purchase tickets online here or at the box office at participating cinemas.

Sony Foundation is the charitable arm of the Sony Group of Companies in Australia. Since its inception in 1999, Sony Foundation has raised over $43 million to support young Australians with disability, cancer, experiencing disadvantage or affected by natural disasters. To find out more about Sony Foundation Australia and the Children’s Holiday Camp Program visit www.sonyfoundation.org

Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist. Featuring an all-star voice cast in Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang and Snoop Dogg, THE GARFIELD MOVIE is directed by Mark Dindal and releases in cinemas nationally May 30, 2024.
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*Check local cinema listings for session times and participating locations

After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

Starring Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson , Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein , Bowen Yang, The Garfield Movie will be released in Aussie cinemas May 30!
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After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

Starring Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Garfield will be released in Aussie cinemas May 30, 2024
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Reggie (Will Ferrell), Bug (Jamie Foxx), Hunter (Randall Park) and Maggie (Isla Fisher) are the canines in question and they prove there are consequences to miss-treating man’s best buddy. Just ask that human dropkick Doug (Will Forte) who ends up paying a very heavy price for his bad behaviour.

Director Josh Greenbaum gets the raunch just right and keeps the profanity flowing. One would also hope that Jamie Foxx gets paid for every f-bomb he drops because that would make him a very rich man. The rest of the voice actors add their individual touch to what is in essence a road movie that tugs at the heartstrings and makes some valid points about the mistreatment of man’s best friend.

With most of the world quite literally going to the dogs these days, there are few outlets with the redemptive value to make up for the mess. One way that has always worked is spending quality time with the domestic breed of your choice. Their pure affection and love is quite redemptive but after seeing Strays one has to wonder what is actually going on between those floppy ears.
Rob Hudson
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When Reggie (Will Ferrell), a naïve, relentlessly optimistic Border Terrier, is abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug (Will Forte; The Last Man on Earth, Nebraska), Reggie is certain that his beloved owner would never leave him on purpose.

But once Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier named Bug (Oscar® winner Jamie Foxx), a stray who loves his freedom and believes that owners are for suckers, Reggie finally realizes he was in a toxic relationship and begins to see Doug for the heartless sleazeball that he is.

Determined to seek revenge, Reggie, Bug and Bug’s pals—Maggie (Isla Fisher; Now You See Me, Wedding Crashers), a smart Australian Shepherd who has been sidelined by her owner’s new puppy, and Hunter (Randall Park; Always Be My Maybe, Aquaman), an anxious Great Dane who’s stressed out by his work as an emotional support animal—together hatch a plan and embark on an epic adventure to help Reggie find his way home … and make Doug pay by biting off the appendage he loves the most. (Hint: It’s not his foot).

A subversion of the dog movies we know and love, Strays, directed by Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) and written by Dan Perrault (Players, American Vandal), is a hilarious, R-rated, live-action comedy about the complications of love, the importance of great friendships, and the unexpected virtues of couch humping.
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Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.

Starring alongside Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) are Adriana Barraza (“Rambo: Last Blood,” “Thor”), Damían Alcázar (“Narcos,” “Narcos: Mexico”), Elpidia Carrillo (“Mayans M.C.,” the “Predator” films), Bruna Marquezine (“Maldivas,” “God Save the King”), Raoul Max Trujillo (the “Sicario” films, “Mayans M.C.”), with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (“Monarch,” “Dead Man Walking”), and George Lopez (the “Rio and “Smurf” franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories,” “Hocus Pocus 2”) and Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”). Soto (“Charm City Kings,” “The Farm”) directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (“Miss Bala”), based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

The director’s creative team behind the scenes includes director of photography Pawel Pogorzelski (“Midsommar,” “Hereditary”), production designer John Billington (“Bad Boys for Life”), editor Craig Alpert (“Deadpool 2,” “The Lost City”), Oscar-nominated costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo (“Jojo Rabbit,” the “Thor” films), visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (“The Suicide Squad,” “Aquaman”) and composer Bobby Krlic (“Midsommar,” the “Snowpiercer” series).

A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, a Safran Company Production, “Blue Beetle” soars into theaters only internationally beginning August 2023 and in North America August 18, 2023. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.

Starring alongside Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) are Adriana Barraza (“Rambo: Last Blood,” “Thor“) as Jaime’s grandmother, Nana, Damían Alcázar (“Narcos,” “Narcos: Mexico”) as his father, Elpidia Carrillo (“Mayans M.C.,” the “Predator” films) as his mother, Bruna Marquezine (“Maldivas,” “God Save the King”) as Jenny Kord, Raoul Max Trujillo (the “Sicario” films, “Mayans M.C.”) as Carapax, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (“Monarch,” “Dead Man Walking”) as Victoria Kord, and George Lopez (the “Rio and “Smurf” franchises) as Jaime’s Uncle Rudy. The film also stars Belissa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories,” “Hocus Pocus 2″) as Jaime’s sister, Milagro, and Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”) as Dr. Sanchez.

Soto (“Charm City Kings,” “The Farm”) directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (“Miss Bala”), based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

The director’s creative team behind the scenes includes director of photography Pawel Pogorzelski (“Midsommar,” “Hereditary”), production designer John Billington (“Bad Boys for Life”), editor Craig Alpert (“Deadpool 2,” “The Lost City”), Oscar-nominated costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo (“Jojo Rabbit,” the “Thor” films), visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (“The Suicide Squad,” “Aquaman”) and composer Bobby Krlic (“Midsommar,” the “Snowpiercer” series).

A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, a Safran Company Production, “Blue Beetle” soars into theaters only internationally beginning August 2023 and in Australia August 17, 2023. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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