The Friend
2025
Certificate 15 – DRAMA
Director: Scott McGehee, David Siegel
With Naomi Watts, Bill Murray
Runtime: 120 mins
Adapted from the bestselling novel by Sigrid Nunez. Iris (Naomi Watts) finds her comfortable New York life upended when her friend and mentor Walter (Bill Murray) bequeaths her his Great Dane, Apollo (Bing). The regal yet intractable beast is a constant reminder of Walter and causes various problems—yet as Iris bonds with Apollo, she begins to cope with her past, her lost friend, and her own creative inner life.
WHY WATCH THIS FILM? Bing is a pleasure to watch.
“You’d have to have a hard heart not to be moved by Apollo’s droopy-eyed, grief-stricken stare, nor the pair’s scenes together in Iris’s apartment, as Iris begins calling him “bud” and Apollo essentially becomes her giant dog-shaped body pillow. Watts, especially shines in these moments of dog-human mind-meld.” The Guardian
“The graceful sensitivity of Naomi Watts’ performance as protagonist Iris is what you will remember.” Empire
“The Friend is a poignantly affecting watch that mostly earns its emotional payoff, delivering gentle laughs along the way.” Time Out