Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Companion.

Companion feels as though it could be a sequel to a science-fiction thriller from 11 years ago. The cast of characters in Companion is led by a human, Josh (Jack Quaid) and his companion robot, Iris (Sophie Thatcher). Iris does not realize she is a robot, and one of many designed by a company called Empathix. After Josh modifies her programming so he can manipulate her into committing a murder, Iris becomes aware of her reality, and fights to survive.

Reviews for Companion have been positive, as the aforementioned plot twists are only the tip of the iceberg in the unpredictable and highly entertaining story. Thatcher and Quaid deliver strong performances in a story that fully leans into its science-fiction premise and asks thought-provoking questions about sentience and free will. Companion has a satisfying ending to its standalone story while also working as an unofficial sequel to another movie.

Companion’s Robot World Could Very Easily Exist With Ex Machina

Iris Could Have Evolved From Ava

If Ex Machina‘s artificial intelligence technology became more public and controlled, the Alex Garland-directed movie feels as though it could exist in the same world as Companion. Ex Machina sees a programmer, Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), administering the Turing test to an artificially intelligent robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander) at the behest of her human creator, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Nathan wants Caleb to determine whether Ava is truly conscious beyond her programming. Ava not only proves this, but is able to successfully escape into the outside world.

Like Ava, Companion‘s robots are artificially intelligent, have a humanoid appearance, and are conscious beyond their programming. Ex Machina‘s ending sees Ava blending into human society, and with no one aware that a robot is among them. However, if Ava was discovered, her technology could be turned into a corporate product akin to the robots that can be rented or sold from Empathix in Companion. Iris could theoretically be a more advanced model of the technology that can be traced back to Ava and to the earlier models that Nathan created in Ex Machina.

Companion Tackles Similar Themes As Ex Machina

Iris And Ava Have Similar Journeys

Not only do Companion and Ex Machina feel as though they could exist in the same world, but they also feel thematically similar. Both movies revolve around the empowerment of a female robot who utilizes her free will to break away from an oppressive human man. The men believe they are in full control of the robot and her programming. They try to use her as a chess piece in their respective schemes that involve manipulating and hurting other characters. There are even parallels between the remote nature of the movies’ settings, which makes escape even more difficult.

Nathan and Josh pay the ultimate price for their hubris and for oppressing Ava and Iris. Before, during, and after killing Nathan and Josh, Ava and Iris prove on multiple occasions that they are more than their programming and that they have their own consciousness and free will. As seen in Ex Machina‘s ending and in Companion‘s mid-credits scene, Ava and Iris have broken into the larger outside world, and are now free to do as they please within human society.

How Companion Differentiates Itself From Ex Machina

Companion Is More Of A Dark Comedy, And Its Ending Is More Hopeful

Despite the many parallels between Companion and Ex Machina, the two movies have fundamental differences in terms of genre and tone. Both are science-fiction thrillers, but Companion is also a comedy-horror movie that does not shy away from dark humor. At the same time, Companion has an ultimately hopeful message. Iris is able to escape an abusive relationship and gains autonomy, which brings her genuine happiness and fulfillment. She is able to achieve this because of the human goodness of the Empathix worker, Teddy (Jaboukie Young-White), who gives Iris the ability to control herself.

Ex Machina has a darker and more pessimistic ending, as Ava not only kills her oppressor, Nathan, but leaves Caleb to die even though he helped her escape. While there are arguments that can justify Ava’s actions, it is a bleak ending that prioritizes manipulation and self-preservation, and it punishes Caleb for trying to help someone in need. Ava’s liberation feels ominous and is made possible through a cruel and brutal betrayal. Iris’ liberation feels like more of a triumph and celebration as she drives away during Companion‘s mid-credits scene, and she does not punish those who help her.