At the New York Film Festival, audiences were captivated by “The Friend,” a moving adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s bestselling 2018 novel. The film delves into a woman’s journey following her friend’s suicide, showcasing touching performances, particularly from Naomi Watts, though it does face some narrative challenges.
Watts plays Iris, a solitary writer living in her cozy West Village apartment—a space that often feels overshadowed by her more successful peers. Her life is a complex blend of teaching commitments and sporadic progress on her novel, as she navigates the rhythm of middle-aged independence. Although she prefers the company of cats, Iris unexpectedly takes on the care of Apollo, a 180-pound Great Dane previously owned by her late best friend, Walter, played by Bill Murray.
The film opens with a poignant flashback depicting the moment Apollo first meets Walter in Brooklyn Bridge Park, a scene filled with instant connection and affection. This gentle introduction sets the tone for a two-hour narrative crafted by writers and directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel. The story swiftly transitions to the present, where Iris finds herself a reluctant support for a complicated group of women grieving Walter’s death—his wife, two ex-wives, and a newly reconciled daughter, Val.
As the plot unfolds, a multitude of questions arise in the wake of Walter’s suicide: Why did he choose such a tragic path? Did he think about his loved ones? And, for Iris, the most pressing question: What will happen to Apollo? This concern resonates throughout the film, interwoven into Iris’s reflections, occasionally landing with impact but sometimes veering into sentimentality.
“The Friend” skillfully balances practical humor with a heartfelt narrative about healing, though it navigates this terrain with a degree of unevenness. The adaptation softens the sharper critiques of self-absorbed writers found in the novel, turning Iris’s worries about Walter’s relationships into a more commercially appealing—and emotionally rich—story of companionship.
At first, Apollo proves to be a challenging pet, resisting food, avoiding elevators, and taking over Iris’s bed. The dog’s standout performance embodies the essence of grief, presenting a striking contrast to the emotionally repressed characters coping with their loss. As Iris and Apollo begin to bond—endearingly nicknaming him “bud”—the film captures their evolving relationship with genuinely sweet moments that occasionally approach melodrama.
Despite its tonal inconsistencies—part relationship drama, part dark comedy, and part exploration of a complex legacy—the film shines brightest in its portrayal of the deepening bond between Iris and Apollo. As one character insightfully notes, stories about ordinary women and their extraordinary animals truly deserve to be told.
“The Friend” is currently being showcased at the New York Film Festival, with plans for a wider release in the near future.
