The Friend

2024

Comedy / Drama

18
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 83% · 142 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 80% · 250 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.4/10 10 3860 3.9K

new york city suicide based on novel or book mentor writer dog

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Plot summary

Starring Oscar nominees Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, alongside Bing the Great Dane, THE FRIEND is an unexpected and heartwarming journey through love, friendship, grief, and healing.

Director

Scott McGehee Photo
Scott McGehee

Top cast

Carla Gugino Photo
Carla Gugino as Elaine
Felix Solis Photo
Felix Solis as Hektor
Naomi Watts Photo
Naomi Watts as Iris
Bill Murray Photo
Bill Murray as Walter
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1080p.WEB.x265 2160p.WEB.x265
1.08 GB
1280*536
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  fr  es  
23.976 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 17
2.21 GB
1920*804
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  fr  es  
23.976 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 38
1.08 GB
1280*530
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  fr  es  
23.976 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 60
2.21 GB
1920*796
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  fr  es  
23.976 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 100+
2 GB
1918*802
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  fr  es  
23.976 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 28
5.34 GB
3840*1600
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  fr  es  
23.976 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 46

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ethanbresnett 5 / 10

Wasted potential resulting in a boring film

This film really should have been a slam dunk, but somehow it manages to be overly long, barely sentimental or emotional, and lacking in any real connection with the characters.The basic premise is that Naomi Watts inherits a giant great dane from her friend and mentor, and struggles to connect with the dog and look after it. What follows should be a sad and poignant yet heartwarming journey as owner and dog open up to each other and learn things along the way. Instead, the characters remain at a distance. The journey just isn't there for any of them really. What transformations and revelation Watts' character has are so surface level and sparsely explored, that they really don't make much of an impact.As a result, the film feels very repetitive, static, and just overly long. There really is no real reason why this film had to be 2 hours long. It's a reasonable runtime if it was used effectively, but it just didn't deliver what it should have done emotionally.It's a shame because the performances are all good, and the dog is lovely (even if he does have an oppressively sad face), so the foundations are all here. Unfortunately it just fails to capitalise on any of this, resulting in a rather drab and dare I say boring film.
Reviewed by saolivaresm 7 / 10

Dogs do have feelings

Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel adapt Sigrid Nunez's novel, starring a charming Naomi Watts and a Great Dane who stands out as one of the best canine actors of recent times.A heartfelt and heartwarming drama about grief and the bond between pet and owner. A novel adapted with sincerity and commitment, it's a perfect drama that's well directed and well acted, drawing us into a study of the characters in all their layers, including a heartfelt performance by a dog who steals the show.It's a perfect exploration of the profound drama of the loss of a loved one, equated in two parallel worlds: that of an animal and that of a person. This dynamic makes the film a constant journey through the intensity of grief, but also through the shortcomings of a protagonist who invites us on a journey through her healing as we immerse ourselves in a magnificent and adorable love story between a dog and a human. This film leaves its own mark, avoiding the typical dog movie we're accustomed to.It's a well-known story that man's best friend has won that ground. It's a film that dares to explore a dog's deepest sorrow for his owner and his own grief-healing process. Magically portrayed by our friend Apollo, whose wide gaze and size fill us with grief and joy at the same time, we can even sense his own personal interpretation of the canine drama he brings to the screen-an absolute visual impact.It's a film that offers a moving, funny, humane, and unforgettable story about friendship, loneliness, grief, and love in all its layers. A pleasant and sweet journey in a correct and sincere adaptation of the novel in question. It becomes an irresistible experience that anyone who has ever loved a pet must see.The supporting cast is excellent, and of course, Murray nails it, making his few scenes shine. New York City has never looked better, thanks to cinematographer Giles Nuttgens.Bleecker Street hits the nail on the head with the layout of this little indie gem.
Reviewed by Aziz24 6 / 10

A warm but chaotic story

Watched at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sep. 11th, 2024 (First Watch)Format: Regular theatreThe story doesn't know what direction it's taking, which is why at most times it just keeps going on and on which feels like it's never ending and here comes the part where the watcher will feel the long and heaviness of its runtime which is not even long but it seems like that because of the slow and sometimes boring rhythm that the story has.The dog is for sure the best part of the film. The way it was trained to showcase these emotions and use its body language to tell something is very impressive. I really didn't like the way the story approached Bill Murray's character as it felt very useless. The film to me is more like a story between a dog and a grieving person and not about a suicidal writer who died and left out a dog. It felt very chaotic in this aspect and it could've easily gotten more in depth in terms of this topic or showed a flashback that will support Bill Murray's character. Other than that, nothing more special but overall, a cute and warm film to watch!
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