Film Review – The Friend

April 3rd, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

There’s a reason dogs are called “Man’s Best Friend.” There’s something about them that one can’t get from other pets – the companionship, the loyalty, the playfulness, the compassion, etc. They seem to know what we are thinking without saying it, and are always there during the best and the worst of times. Movies about the relationship between humans and canines have been around for a long time. The Friend (2024) fits snugly into this category. While there are better versions of this story, there are certainly ones that are not as good as well. This is a perfectly fine – albeit conventional – tale of love, grief, and perseverance. Dog lovers will obviously gravitate towards this, but there might be something here for everyone. This is a good old-fashioned film about characters whose lives are changed through their encounters with dogs – nothing more, nothing less.

Co-writers/directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel adapt Sigrid Nunez’s novel as a sentimental character study. Iris (Naomi Watts) is a writer and professor living in New York City. We meet her during a state of loss, having discovered that her long-time mentor and friend, Walter (Bill Murray) has committed suicide. This news rocks Iris’ very core. To add on top of the stress, she has been tasked to help finish the novel Walter was working on. But more importantly, to take in and care for his Great Dane, Apollo (Bing). Iris has no problems with pets but given that she is in the middle of work, has limited space for such a big pup, and the fact that her apartment does not allow animals, puts her in a bind. Of course, you can see where all this is going, can’t you? What starts out as a burden turns into a blessing. Apollo not only represents the person Iris has lost, but as a mean to help her traverse her grief.

McGehee and Siegel insert all the traditional fish out of water, “getting to know ya” elements between Iris and Apollo. We’ve seen plenty of these before. Apollo initially resists Iris’ commands, forces her to take the stairs to her apartment rather than the elevator, gives her no room to sleep in her own bed, and trashes the place the moment she walks out the front door. The editing cuts to close ups of Apollo to let us see his expressive eyes and facial expressions. When it comes to animal acting, Bing is pretty darn good. He is more than half the size of Naomi Watts, and yet he moves around environments and interacts with people with pinpoint precision. There’s a moment late at night where Apollo quietly tip toes around Iris, as though he were trying to get accustomed to her presence. The way Bing gingerly moves around her, not trying to disturb her sleep, was impressive. I don’t think even I could walk around in the dark like that without tripping over something.

It goes without saying that Iris and Apollo eventually grow a kinship, and their dynamic is one of the better parts of The Friend. The human stories, however, are not as convincing. The biggest factor to Iris’ personality is her connection with Walter. Much is said about him, and we get a few flashbacks to key moments of his life. But the problem is that the narrative never convinces us over what made him so special. Sure, people say that he was influential, but what we see says otherwise. We’re told that he had three wives (Carla Gugino, Constance Wu, Noma Dumezweni) and plenty of girlfriends on the side. All of them are aware of each other, and some have even formed friendships. Whenever his life as a Lothario is brought up, it gets dismissed with a wave and an eyeroll. For someone whose escapades are well known, Walter seems to have gotten off the hook pretty easy. Granted, Bill Murray already comes with a heavy dose of charm and charisma, but I didn’t quite buy how revered his character was.

The cinematography (Giles Nuttgens) incorporates a straightforward visual palette, capturing the holiday season with plenty of autumn and winter colors. For a movie that – for the most part – takes on a realistic tone, the production incorporates a few fantastical touches. The inclusion of voiceover from Iris details her every thought as she goes through her personal journey. These bits of dialogue usually come in the form of a letter she writes to Walter, as though she were describing things to him from beyond the afterlife. Other times, the narrative dives into full on magical realism, showing us scenes and conversations that reside only in Iris’ mind. How effective these choices are will depend on the viewer. The voiceovers and fantasy sequences are reflective of Iris’ approach as a writer. On the other hand, they spell out nearly everything she thinks, feels, fears, enjoys, ponders, and hopes for. Instead of showing us her mindset, the film tells us directly through these moments. There were times that felt like we were being spoon-fed expositional information, but it wasn’t so egregious as to sink the entire ship.  

For all the tropes and inconsistencies sprinkled throughout The Friend, the anchor holding everything together is Naomi Watts. She brings heart and determination to the role of Iris. Although we can see where things are going way before we get there, Watts keeps us engaged with her performance. Where lesser actors would settle for cheap hijinks and slapstick when partnered with a dog, Watts makes Iris grounded and organic. She is tired, frustrated, confused, and in mourning, but not once do we feel like she is a quitter. Iris is in a constant state of adaptation, whether it is in the loss of an old friend or the introduction of a new one. McGehee and Siegel understand the talent they have on their hands and make the most out of Watts’ participation. One key scene – involving a session between Iris and her therapist – allows Watts to really go for the emotionality of the character.

The Friend is a culmination of ups and downs. It contains good performances, both human and dog, and tackles heavy themes with earnestness and maturity. But the human elements – particularly involving the Bill Murray character – leave much to be desired. It’s not so saccharine to feel overly sappy, yet it’s not ambitious enough to veer off the well-worn path in terms of its storytelling. It’s perfectly acceptable, if that’s your thing.

Bill Murray, Bing, Carla Gugino, Constance Wu, David Siegel, Giles Nuttgens, Naomi Watts, Noma Dumezweni, Scott McGehee, Sigrid Nunez, The Friend