Drama

The Friend

When a solitary writer adopts and bonds with a Great Dane that belonged to a late friend, she begins to come to terms with her past and her own creative inner life.

Release Date : 2025-03-28

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Big Creek Projects3dot Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Iris

Original Name : Naomi Watts

Gender : Female

Character Name : Walter

Original Name : Bill Murray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marjorie

Original Name : Ann Dowd

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tuesday

Original Name : Constance Wu

Gender : Female

Character Name : Val

Original Name : Sarah Pidgeon

Gender : Female

Character Name : Elaine

Original Name : Carla Gugino

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barbara

Original Name : Noma Dumezweni

Gender : Female

Character Name : Hektor

Original Name : Felix Solis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carter

Original Name : Owen Teague

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apollo

Original Name : Bing

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jocelyn

Original Name : Gina Costigan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jerry

Original Name : Josh Pais

Gender : Male

Character Name : Camille

Original Name : Cloé Xhauflaire

Gender : Female

Character Name : Female Dinner Guest

Original Name : Susan Wands

Gender : Female

Character Name : Host

Original Name : Susan Lynskey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Male Dinner Guest

Original Name : Joel Van Liew

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jenna

Original Name : Annie Fox

Gender : Female

Character Name : Viv

Original Name : Carrie Vu

Gender : Female

Character Name : Blossom

Original Name : Sue Jean Kim

Gender : Female

Character Name : Young Professor

Original Name : Joe Castle Baker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grant

Original Name : Gary Littman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mara

Original Name : Sarah Baskin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Stella

Original Name : Jess Gabor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nosy Neighbor

Original Name : Anna Fikhman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Novak

Original Name : Bruce Norris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pantsuit Woman

Original Name : Amy Warren

Gender : Female

Character Name : Security Guard

Original Name : Gabe Castillo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sophie

Original Name : Juliet Brett

Gender : Female

Character Name : Shervin

Original Name : Afsheen Misaghi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harry

Original Name : Seth Barrish

Gender : Male

Character Name : Larry

Original Name : Ian Lithgow

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Goer

Original Name : Jonathan Raviv

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dog Owner

Original Name : Matt Leisy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lydia

Original Name : Myrna Cabello

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Warren

Original Name : Tom McCarthy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Robert

Original Name : Gregory Abbey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Conductor

Original Name : John Leone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chess Player (uncredited)

Original Name : Cedric Cannon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bearded Writer (uncredited)

Original Name : Grayson Powell

Gender : Male

Character Name : New YOrk Rangers Fan (uncredited)

Original Name : Alex Ziwak

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-05-04

“Walter” (Bill Murray) is a cranky old author who decides that he’s had enough of life and so leaves his wife “Barbara” (Noma Dumezweni) with a four-foot, four-legged, slobbering problem. She decides that the best place for “Apollo” is with his longtime friend “Iris” (Naomi Watts). Bluntly, she would rather stick pins in her eyes, but she’s a bit of a sucker for a sob story and so soon she he has a new roomie in her tiny, rent-controlled, apartment where she is swiftly relegated from her bed to the floor. The mutt is clearly pining for his master, so she is going to have to learn how to get it to eat, sleep, do as it’s told and get off her mattress! Meantime, her friendly building supervisor has reminded her that pets are prohibited, and so she’d better come up with a plan B or else she might not even have the carpet to sleep on. What now ensues is an amiable bonding exercise that is entirely predictable, but that allows Watts and her canine companion to gently entertain us with some silly antics whilst addressing issues of friendship, trust and even a little betrayal. I thought it might have worked better on a stage, as the dialogue is rather more important here than the imagery, but with Murray featuring only sparingly there might be too much risk of the real star of the film - the dog - causing a bit of mayhem with an audience a few feet away! You’ll never remember this, even if you are the world’s greatest dog-lover, and it takes far too long to get going, but once the thing is up and running it’s a pleasant enough watch.