Latest news with #Companion
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Stray cat stows away in cargo container from China to Minnesota. ‘Miracle'
A rare 'first' has happened to an animal rescue in Minnesota — one that possibly won't ever be repeated. A stray cat managed to find herself thousands of miles from home … on a completely different continent. Needless to say, staff was in shock. 'After nearly 15 years providing animal control services, it's rare for us to experience a true 'first'… but today was one of those days,' the Companion Animal Care & Control said in a June 5 Facebook post. 'Meet our first-ever stray cat from China—yes, you read that right.' Her name? Stowaway (as named later by the Northwoods Humane Society in Wyoming.) 'This tiny survivor was found inside a shipping container that traveled thousands of miles across the ocean, all the way from China to Oakdale, MN,' Companion continued. 'For three long weeks, she likely survived by drinking condensation and maybe snagging a rodent or two. By the time she was discovered—hiding under a pallet as the crates were being unloaded—she was severely dehydrated and dangerously thin.' The animal rescue service posted photos of the escape artist, then safe in a kennel, looking worn and afraid. They also shared photos of the cargo she was inside. 'Thankfully, our team was called, and with a little patience (and a humane trap), we were able to safely catch her,' the rescue said. 'This cat is nothing short of a miracle.' She was transferred to Northwoods, who provided an update on Stowaway. 'Just wanted to give a quick update on her - yesterday, she was transferred to the care of Pet Haven, Inc. of MN, who will be able to provide her with the care she needs in this next step of her journey to adoption,' the shelter said in a June 11 Facebook post. 'With their Wallflower Program, she'll get the quiet, time and care she needs right now.' To keep up with Stowaway's story, follow Pet Haven's Facebook page. Oakdale is about 20-miles east of Minneapolis.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘A Tree Fell in the Woods' Review: Josh Gad and Alexandra Daddario in an Uneven, Occasionally Insightful Relationship Dramedy
If pop culture is to be believed, nothing good has ever come from a couple dashing off to a cute little cabin in the woods. This year alone, the sly sci-fi Companion, Netflix's drab dramedy The Four Seasons and the twisted Sundance rom-com Oh, Hi! have each taken turns considering the many, many different ways a weekend getaway might pressure-test a relationship, until fault lines become chasms big enough to swallow entire lives whole. Adding to that collection now is Nora Kirkpatrick's debut feature, A Tree Fell in the Woods, premiering at Tribeca. In the canon of vacation-set marriage exposés, it's mid-tier, entertaining in parts but neither profound nor original enough to blaze any new trails. But in its epiphany that our most complicated relationships are the ones we have with ourselves, it delivers an intriguing if incomplete snapshot of Millennial anxiety. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jim Sheridan's 'Re-creation' Puts One of Ireland's Most Troubling Murder Cases Back on Trial 'Inside' Review: Guy Pearce Is a Lit Fuse of Internal Contradictions in Haunting Australian Prison Drama 'The Best You Can' Review: Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick Star in a Congenial but Unremarkable Dramedy About an Unlikely Friendship The falling tree of the title turns out to be very literal: In the first act, best friends Debs (Alexandra Daddario) and Mitch (Josh Gad) are nearly flattened while exploring the forest around the home they've rented for their 'Christmas New Year's thingamajigy weekend.' Exhilarated by their near-death experience, they rush back to regale their spouses with the tale, only to spy through the window Josh (Daveed Diggs) and Melanie (Ashley Park) in flagrante delicto. Mitch, dreading a future in which 'each one of us ends up depressed, angry, alone, masturbating on the couch,' prefers to say nothing. Debs, reluctantly, plays along through gritted teeth. Nevertheless, it's only a matter of time before a violent snowstorm traps the quartet inside, with nothing to do but wallow in their insecurities and trade furious invectives — well, that, and drown their sorrows in the ancient, mysterious, possibly slightly magical bottles of moonshine recovered from the basement, to mildly comic effect. Kirkpatrick, whose credits include Prime Video's Daisy Jones & The Six, resists casting any of her four leads in roles as easy as victim or villain. As the couples separate to argue in private or individuals retreat to lick their wounds, the writer-director periodically cuts between them, so that their conversations or coping mechanisms become a single symphony of hurt and anger and misunderstanding. Sure, Melanie and Josh are in the wrong, and Mitch and Debs are right to be mad — but, the film makes clear, each has their part to play in everything that's gone wrong. Which is not to say that the movie's understanding of all four is equally sharp, or equally sympathetic. Its most lucid and least likable portrayal is of Mitch, who feels taken advantage of by the women in his life (namely Melanie, but also Debs); Gad's exhaustingly showy performance adds to the sense that he's one of those stereotypical 'nice guys' who turns every act of kindness into a self-sacrificing spectacle. On the flip side, Park delivers the film's most unexpectedly funny and oddly moving turn as a woman cracking under the dissatisfactions of a marriage built more around both parties' ideas of what they should want than what they actually do. The script is less successful at dissecting Debs and Josh's relationship, favoring her indignation over his fury to the point that when he finally does open up about his anxieties late in the film, it feels like we're only now meeting him for the first time. Nor do Daddario and Diggs share the kind of chemistry that might let us understand what drew them together in the first place, though they do share a couple of eloquently written, tenderly acted exchanges in the back half. But if A Tree Fell in the Woods is only fitfully persuasive in its excavations of the resentments that can build over a long-term relationship — and if the deployment of a vaguely magical potion to get there seems a tad too convenient — its shrewdest observation is that none of these grudges can be separated from the ones the characters hold against their own selves. No longer young but not quite middle-aged (the characters are in their 30s, though some of the actors are older), they find themselves suspended between fading promise and dull reality, between the futures they'd imagined and the ones they're settling into, between the people they hoped they might be and the ones they're actually becoming. Debs, an author struggling to live up to the promise of her debut novel, is married to a photographer whose reputation outpaces his talent. Mitch is a successful banker who hates his job and the life it's bought him, with a wife who does not understand him. For all four, the idea that they might really be stuck with these lives is such a bitter pill to swallow that perhaps it's no wonder they're compelled to do something — anything — to put off the decades of disappointment and disillusionment they see looming before them. At one point, Mitch even drunkenly floats the idea that the betrayal might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. 'We saw it,' he slurs, 'and it saved us from the rest of our lives.' Debs, understandably, isn't buying it. But sometimes, the only way out of a hellish weekend in the woods is through. And sometimes, the only way to cut to the truth is to knock down all the bullshit surrounding it first. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Geek Girl Authority
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Movie Review: COMPANION
by Ray Schillaci The Movie Guys Here is my conundrum – when reviewing a movie, one should avoid all trailers, reviews, and synopses…so you may be as completely caught off guard and thrilled as I was with Companion . Then there is the clever marketing ploy announcing that Companion was by the people that brought us the beloved romantic epic The Notebook and the evil minds that gave horror hounds something to howl about, Barbarian . This announcement had 'WTF' all over it, and writer/director Drew Hancock had me uttering that to myself as his film meticulously unraveled to an unexpected climax. It helps that our two leads Jack Quaid (The Boys, The Hunger Games) and Sophie Thatcher (Heretic, Yellowjackets) are so damn likable. Together they practically make the most romantic couple since When Harry Met Sally . But, when the two of them decide on a getaway with friends (at a remote cabin), you can't help but feel something could easily go awry. To say any more would be a disservice to the potential viewer. What can be said is that Sydney Sweeney may have her crown as the 'new It girl' handed over to the utterly charming Sophie Thatcher. After delivering a riveting, dramatic performance in Heretic , Thatcher proves her comedic skills (dark as they may be) in Companion . She easily caught me off guard with her unique smile and wholesome look, but there's a complex mindset she also brings to the table. RELATED: Movie Review: The Phoenician Scheme On the other hand, Jack Quaid easily slips into the role of the awkward and funny boyfriend until he demonstrates a darker side. His range goes from sympathetic to devious and pathetic. Kudos must go out to both leads for bringing everything they do to the table. It is within the chemistry of the two that writer/director Drew Hancock can work his magic. Hancock exudes romantic notions with such ease that anything going against this couple is jarring, to say the least. He not only plays the two leads as if they were masterful chess maneuvers, but also includes the other players as well, making the film both funny and shocking. Needless to say, once everything is revealed, the film bears repeat viewing, just to catch what you might have missed. Visually, this is a lovely 4K presentation with a great attention to detail. You have this beautiful house deep in the woods with a stunning view of the lake. Colors are vibrant on the outside. Inside, the color palette tends to be warm and inviting, which almost gives you a carefree feeling. For a fairly 'low-budget' movie, $10 million, the film has very few effects. The great part about that is writer/director Hancock relies on his storytelling and his actors rather than relying on CGI. RELATED: Movie Review: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina Sound-wise, this is a subtle mix with not a lot of bangs and whistles. But, there is a great foreboding sense within the remote area. The Dolby Atmos sound provides a great sense of tension during a few important scenes. This is not an action film, the dialogue is the key and it remains crystal clear. It's not a disc where you'd be referencing the advantages of what 4K can provide, but it suits its purpose. Where are the bonus features, Warner Home Video? We get less than fifteen minutes' worth sans a gag reel, which would have been a lot of fun. Aside from that bit of disappointment, the company has decided not to include a Blu-ray with the 4K or a Blu-ray with a DVD. Sad day for some physical medium fans. But a digital download is included. As far as the story itself, have I said too much? I hope not. Because, as mentioned, Companion should be enjoyed with as little knowledge about it as possible. The 'R' rating at least gives enough of a warning that this is not a family-friendly affair. But, it is a film I highly recommend watching with (discerning) family and friends. RELATED: Bring Her Back Spoiler Review Lowest price – 4K – $27.95, Blu-ray – $22.95 at Amazon & Walmart Companion is also available for streaming. Visit Ray's blog at Directed by: Drew Hancock Release Date: January 31, 2025 Run Time: 97 Minutes Rated: R Country: U.S.A. Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Our favorite film critic Hideo Kojima is back with positive reviews for sci-fi thrillers Companion and A Quiet Place: Day One
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The only certain things in life are death, taxes, and Hideo Kojima movie reviews - and he's back with more. The video game mogul took to his Twitter account to praise Sophia Thatcher's performance in Companion, writing that she "may have seemed like a late bloomer compared to the rest of the Yellowjackets crew, but right now, she's one of the hottest actresses around." He also added that Thatcher was "fantastic on the set of my friend, Nicolas Winding Refn's [movie] Her Private Hell." There hasn't been very much info about Her Private Hell, other than that it stars Thatcher and Charles Melton, Kristine Froseth, and Havana Rose Liu, and that it began filming in Tokyo this month. Refn co-wrote the pic with Esti Giordani, which could very well be a remake of the 1968 British sexploitation film of the same name. Kojima also gave a shoutout to A Quiet Place: Day One, writing that it really is "a well-crafted film - meticulously directed down to the finest detail. The way it tells its story, builds its characters, and expresses emotion - all without dialogue - is masterfully done. It's poetic take on 'quiet' is something truly special." The film, directed by Michael Sarnoski, hit theaters last year and served as a prequel to John Krasinski's A Quiet Place franchise - and made me cry for nearly two hours straight mostly because of that cat. Companion is streaming now on Hulu. A Quiet Place: Day One is available to stream on Prime Video and Paramount Plus. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond, or, check out our list of movie release dates.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
10 new horror films that are almost terrifying
Do you like horror movies that turn out great? Let's look at 10 recent horror movies that were so close to being amazing. 1. Heart Eyes This movie mixes horror with romantic comedy. The chemistry between Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding is great. The killer looks scary but the ending is very predictable; it feels like an old horror movie from the early 2000s. Started strong, but ended too safe and basic. 2. Companion A girl finds out she's actually a robot built for her boyfriend. Sophie Thatcher gives a great performance. The movie is full of surprises and crazy twists. But it doesn't always make sense if you think too much. Characters act weird just to push the story forward. Fun ride, but very messy and silly in logic. 3. Drop A mom gets scary messages through AirDrop while on a date. The first hour is super suspenseful and fun. Meghann Fahy acts really well. But the ending goes full silly mode with weird action. The villain reveal is boring and obvious. It starts stylish, but ends like a goofy TV show. 4. The Monkey A killer monkey toy causes crazy deaths. The death scenes are brutal and creative. Theo James plays two brothers and does a great job, but the ending gets way too confusing and messy. Some bad CGI ruins the vibe but overall great build-up, but poor and strange wrap-up. Live Events 5. Azrael Set in a silent post-apocalyptic world. No talking, just action and tension. Samara Weaving kills it with her expressions, but there's no deep story or strong characters. The ending feels empty and sudden. Cool concept, but lacks full emotional impact. 6. Final Destination: Bloodlines A fresh entry in the famous death-trap horror series. First two-thirds are fun, gross, and shocking. Tony Todd appears and adds weight. But the ending copies older films in the series. The twists are super obvious if you know biology. Seems like the studio messed with the final act. 7. In a Violent Nature A slow, artsy take on slasher films. The camera follows the killer, not the victims. Some death scenes are unforgettable, but the ending drags too long. Final 15 minutes are talky and lose focus. Almost genius, but falls asleep at the finish line. 8. Your Monster A woman meets a literal monster who helps her find herself. Mixes horror, comedy, and romance really well. Melissa Barrera is amazing. But the ending twist is weird and disappointing. It changes the whole story in a not-fun way. Great mix of genres, just wish it ended better. 9. Don't Move A woman is paralyzed slowly after being attacked. Super tense in the beginning and acting from Kelsey Asbille and Finn Wittrock, but they stretched the story too long. Plot twists feel fake just to keep it going. 'Don't Move' could have made a better short film. 10. Borderline A pop star is stalked by a crazy fan in the '90s. Ray Nicholson is wild and amazing as the villain. Alba Baptista also shines in a twisted role, but Samara's role feels too basic. The movie doesn't show enough '90s vibes despite the setting. Fun and weird, but not fully developed. FAQs Q1. Suggest a horror movie with no dialogue? Azrael is set in a silent world and has no talking at all. Q2. Are these new horror movies worth watching? Yes, many are fun and creative, but some have weak or silly endings.
