THE FRIEND
When a solitary writer (Naomi Watts) adopts and bonds with a Great Dane that belonged to a late friend (Bill Murray), she begins to come to terms with her past and her own creative inner life in this story of healing, love, and friendship.
SHOWTIMES
MAY 2 | FRI
4:50, 7:20 p.m.
MAY 3 | SAT
11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:20 p.m.
MAY 4 | SUN
11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:20 p.m.
MAY 5 | MON
4:50, 7:20 p.m.
MAY 6 | TUE
4:50 p.m.
MAY 7 | WED
4:50, 7:20 p.m.
MAY 8 | THU
4:50 p.m.
MAY 9 | FRI
4:50, 7:20 p.m.Â
MAY 10 | SAT
11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:20 p.m.Â
MAY 11 | SUN
11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:20 p.m.Â
MAY 12 | MON
4:50 p.m.Â
MAY 13 | TUE
4:50 p.m.
MAY 14 | WED
4:50, 7:20 p.m.
MAY 15 | THU
4:50, 7:20 p.m.
SYNOPSIS
Based on the bestselling novel, writer and teacher Iris (Naomi Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Bill Murray) bequeaths her his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane. The regal yet intractable beast, named Apollo, immediately creates practical problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones. Yet as Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with Apollo, she begins to come to terms with her past, and her own creative inner life in this story of healing, love, and friendship.
Director
WITH
Run Time
1 hour, 59 minutes
Released
March 28, 2025
Distributed by
Bleecker Street
HEARING AND VISUAL ASSISTANCE
Assisted Listening
Closed Captioning
Descriptive Audio
Country
United States
SUBTITLES
None
RATED R
for language including a sexual reference
REVIEWS
“A lovely drama with light comic touches and many more insights about life, grief, writerly ambition and friendship.”
“There’s a sweetness to THE FRIEND that is rare in cinema today. There’s no cynicism in McGehee and Siegel’s version of the story, nor is there any malice.”
“[Directors] McGehee and Siegel juice this smart, affecting feature with sly nods to big-screen New York romances.”