- Bill Murray, Naomi Watts, Carla Gugino, Constance Wu, Bing
- April 25th 2025
- 120
- Scott McGehee, David Siegel
Naomi Watts plays a grieving friend who is bequeathed her late mentor’s beloved Great Dane, Apollo, after his death.
If you live in a small New York City apartment, you’ll know that it’s not remotely practical to own an enormous Great Dane.
That’s what Naomi Watts’s character Iris discovers when her best friend and mentor Walter (Bill Murray) dies and she is asked to take care of his beloved Great Dane, Apollo.
The writer and teacher lives in a small one-bed apartment in a building that doesn’t allow pets.
What is she supposed to do? How can she honour one of Walter’s dying wishes and not get evicted from her apartment?
Iris has to figure out that dilemma while caring for the gigantic dog, processing her grief and unpacking her history with Walter.
The Friend sounds like it might be a light-hearted comedy about a solitary woman getting to grips with her new oversized dog but it’s more of a drama about those characters emotionally supporting each other while they mourn the loss of an important figure in their lives.
However, there is some wry humour (not enough though) and plenty of amusing scenes of Iris and Apollo getting acquainted with each other in her small apartment, with her struggling to establish dominance over the big hound.
It is also very heartwarming watching their bond develop and them become each other’s friend over time.
The dog storyline will draw in viewers, but the narrative about Walter’s relationship history and dubious past is richer, more interesting and the most well-written aspect.
It was fascinating learning more about his past and present wives Elaine (Carla Gugino), Tuesday (Constance Wu) and Barbara (Noma Dumezweni) and his daughter Val (Sarah Pidgeon) and their experiences with him.
There are a few downsides, such as the unnecessary and repetitive voiceovers, the pacing and the runtime. It’s only two hours but it comes to a natural end 10-15 minutes before its actual conclusion.
The storytelling may not be perfect but Watts’s performance cannot be faulted. She is brilliant as a grieving woman battling an existential crisis and trying to cope with so much upheaval.
Fans of Murray may be disappointed to learn that he’s not in it very much, which is surprising given his involvement in the press tour.
The Friend isn’t perfect but it will easily win over dog lovers and those who can relate to Iris’s experience with grief.
In cinemas from Friday 25th April
By Hannah Wales.
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