The Friend (2024 film)

The Friend is a 2024 American drama film written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. Based on the 2018 novel by Sigrid Nunez, it stars Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Carla Gugino, Constance Wu, and Ann Dowd.

The Friend
Release poster
Directed by	Scott McGehee David Siegel
Screenplay by	Scott McGehee David Siegel
Based on	The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
Produced by	Scott McGehee David Siegel Liza Chasin Mike Spreter
Starring	Naomi Watts Bill Murray Sarah Pidgeon Carla Gugino Constance Wu Ann Dowd
Cinematography	Giles Nuttgens
Edited by	Isaac Hagy
Music by	Jay Wadley Trevor Gureckis
Production companies	3dot Productions Big Creek
Distributed by	Bleecker Street (United States and Canada) Focus Features Universal Pictures (International)
Release dates	August 30, 2024 (2024-08-30) (Telluride) March 28, 2025 (2025-03-28) (United States)
Running time	120 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$4.9 million[2][3]

It had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and screened in the Gala section at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and was released theatrically on March 28, 2025 by Bleecker Street.^[4][5]

Cast

• Naomi Watts as Iris
• Bill Murray as Walter
• Noma Dumezweni as Barbara
• Sarah Pidgeon as Val
• Carla Gugino as Elaine
• Sarah Baskin as Mara
• Constance Wu as Tuesday
• Juliet Brett as Sophie
• Ann Dowd as Marjorie
• Felix Solis as Hektor
• Gina Costigan as Jocelyn
• Owen Teague as Carter
• Josh Pais as Jerry
• Tom McCarthy as Dr. Warren
• Bruce Norris as Dr. Novak

Production

In February 2022, it was announced Naomi Watts had joined the cast of the film, with Scott McGehee and David Siegel set to direct from a screenplay they wrote, based upon the 2018 novel of the same name by Sigrid Nunez.^[6] In February 2024, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Dowd, Noma Dumezweni, Felix Solis, and Owen Teague joined the cast. In March 2024, Carla Gugino joined the cast.^[7][8][9] Principal photography began by February 2024, in New York City.^[10][11]

Release

The Friend premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024, and was also screened in the Gala Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024. In October 2024, Bleecker Street acquired North American distribution rights to the film, planning to release it sometime in early 2025.^[12] The film was released in the United States on March 28, 2025.^[13]

The film will open 2nd Croatia International Film Festival on August 8, 2025.^[14]

Reception

Box office

During its first weekend of release, The Friend played in two theaters and grossed $67,629 during the weekend of March 28–30.^[15] The following weekend, the film had its wide release and opened alongside A Minecraft Movie, The Chosen: Last Supper Part 2, Hell of a Summer, and The Luckiest Man in America, and grossed $1.6 million, finishing ninth at the box office for the weekend of April 4–6.^[16]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 131 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "Leavening its parable of grief with some adorable human-canine bonding, The Friend is a winsome dramedy that'll resonate with pet owners and just about anyone who's experienced loss."^[17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[18]