Synopsis: “Simon, a struggling documentary filmmaker, enjoys free flights courtesy of his best friend and roommate, Bruce, who works for an airline. However, when Beatrice, a more successful filmmaker, enters the picture and starts dating Bruce, Simon risks flying too close to the sun.”
Losing hold of a friendship that has been a staple in your life is an unfortunate reality of adulthood. Either through friends getting significant others or from distancing themselves on a personal level, it often results in outbursts where words can’t be taken back, showing how deeply disgust can rift even the best of friendships. The Travel Companion begins as a cozy film about guys being guys, celebrating men’s relationships, and what happens when kindness is taken advantage of.
Directed by duo Travis Wood and Alex Mallis, their film The Travel Companion starts out on a rather inviting note, with Simon (Tristain Turner) standing on stage at a film festival, ready to answer questions about his submission. Though the microphone just misses him, audiences get a glimpse early on into the luck Simon has. But the festival isn’t a complete bust, with Beatrice (Naomi Asa), a young female filmmaker, striking up a conversation with Simon and his roommate and best friend Bruce (Anthony Oberbeck). The trio hit a chic bar, sharing drinks with one another over the night, discussing their shared interest in film, and Bruce chatting about his job at an airline, which allows Simon to be a designated travel companion for his friend, getting free flights to film around the world.
A spark is felt between Beatrice and Bruce—their romance is slow but gradual—and seeing them fall in love is swoon-worthy. But Simon feels his perk of being able to get pro bono airplane rides is in jeopardy as the couple gets closer and closer. And for how close the two are, it’s understandable that he is worried about this. It’s clear that Bruce and Simon have been friends for a long time; they hang out on Bruce’s work breaks, and Simon has a sandwich ready and sits on their stoop waiting for his friend to come home from work. Their lives are intertwined, but as time goes on throughout The Travel Companion, Simon gets careless about his privilege of free airfare.
Simon is a totally relatable character, stuck in a video editing job for a cab company—an occupation he doesn’t see himself at for long. He constantly struggles with conflicting feelings of never being good enough to hit it big while having an inflated confidence at the same time. Spending a lot of his free time in airports awaiting empty seats to claim for his free rides, Simon doesn’t do much filming, only showcasing his camerawork during his day job getting footage for commercials. And when he does give himself time to edit his newest project, he often gets lost in his own head, never getting much closer to a final cut.
Bruce, being the total opposite of Simon, makes their friendship unique. Bruce has a job he loves, and more importantly, he’s good at it. With the potential for promotions. When his relationship with Beatrice blooms, he tries to spend time with both people who are important to him, but there’s something so magnetic about Beatrice. She’s also a filmmaker whose career is just taking off, with offers hitting her desk that have million-dollar budgets. At no point does Simon ever really reflect on why Bruce is having issues with him, and it further shows the dependency that he has on Bruce for his documentary to succeed.
Writers Wood, Mallis, and Weston Auburn play into Simon’s motivations for keeping his travel companion status, constantly reminding his friend of potential flights and trips the pair could take. And that if Beatrice really wanted to travel, the production she works for could swing the cost. The film’s script is at its strongest near the final act when Simon and Bruce have to face the growing rift between them. The dialogue feels real, and Bruce’s frustrations come across as naturally as anyone’s would. It highlights the lack of communication that male friendships tend to have and how it breaks down even the best of connections. And when Beatrice shares the screen with Simon and Bruce is where the most tension is felt, often showing how much Simon oversteps with his familiarity with others.
The film is effective in how it frames adult relationships, either romantic or platonic. As one blooms with genuine care and excitement, the other wilts away due to a lack of care. It’s a double-edged sword for audiences to wield, and it makes you question what relationships are worth saving for your own sanity. The Travel Companion is a tale of friendships based on convenience and maintaining those relationships because it benefits you. It’s refreshing to see a film make a point to explore the intricacies of friendships, especially the most negative aspects.
A large portion of The Travel Companion is filmed in an airport, with Simon sitting around in hopes of there being empty seats for him to snag. Its purpose of being a reminder of how much time Simon loses by relying on this perk to get him good footage. But it often begins to feel repetitive, to the point that audiences lose out on getting to know Bruce more, or even his relationship with Beatrice. While plenty of the shots from the film are a picture to behold from cinematographer Jason Chiu’s lens—highlighting New York in an authentic way that puts the beauty of the city’s architecture in full view—paired with a uniquely catchy score from Eliot Krimsky, the city comes alive within its sights and sounds.
The Travel Companion is what makes indie films so special—telling real human stories, made thoughtfully with a cast and crew that is passionate. From its stunning skyline views to its heartfelt proclamations, its unique ability to make the audience both feel pain and annoyance for its lead character is nothing short of brilliant.
Rating: 3.5/5
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A film lover from Mid Michigan who is a voting member of Michigan Movie Critics Guild, and North American Film Critics Association.
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