The Friend Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Friend Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 15, 2025

Naomi Watts and a Great Dane figuring out their life together in the middle of New York City. It’s the stuff of comedy, but “The Friend” is primarily interested in the inner workings of people and animals trying to get through a difficult time together. It’s a companionship story from filmmaking partners Scott McGehee and David Siegel, who adapt a 2018 book by author Sigrid Nunez, challenged to preserve the novel’s intimate ways with animal care and mental health. “The Friend” isn’t too hard on the senses, maintaining a cozy mood of mild shenanigans involving a large pooch and the puzzle of its behavior. And there’s room for human concerns, as the main character experiences an unexpectedly therapeutic journey with a most unlikely partner. The helmers don’t push down too hard on viewers, and they respect the emotional odyssey of the source material, keeping the picture charming and sincere, also sustaining its appeal for dog lovers.

Walter (Bill Murray) was a successful author who loved to be revered and enjoyed the companionship of women. He had a unique relationship with Iris (Naomi Watts), sharing a love for literature, pushing the professor to handle her writer’s block and deliver on her potential. But now, Walter is dead, taking his own life unexpectedly, leaving behind a collection of ex-wives, a daughter in Val (Sarah Pidgeon), and a six-year-old Great Dane named Apollo. Barbara (Noma Dumezweni) is one of Walter’s exes, and she can’t take in the dog, sharing a tale that the author wanted Iris to care for Apollo. Feeling pressure to take on the responsibility, Iris agrees to handle the large dog for a little while, planning to re-home the creature, as her NYC apartment life isn’t big enough for the pet. Realizing there’s a lot going on with Apollo, Iris develops a connection to the canine, learning to handle his needs. However, outside forces put pressure on the professor to take care of the living situation as Iris confronts her relationship with Walter.

Walter shares the story of Apollo, as the dog “magically appeared” to him while out on a morning run, drawn to the strange situation and the energy of the stray. A partnership was born, but not meant to last, as Walter takes his own life one day, leaving everyone he knew baffled and hurt by the news. “The Friend” doesn’t feature a lot of Murray, who’s mostly here in an extended cameo, but the character of Walter carries throughout the tale, as his life involved many people and a degree of ego, putting Iris on a path to recognizing her feelings for the man who captured her imagination and heart in ways she never quite understood. But first, there’s Apollo to deal with as Barbara pushes the massive dog on Iris, who’s expected to care for it thanks to word of Walter’s insistence.

“The Friend” mostly follows Iris’s adventure with Apollo, experiencing the difficulties of cohabitation with a strange dog. The new resident claims the bed and seems melancholy, sending Iris on a mission to connect to Apollo, especially after he spends time alone in the apartment trashing the joint. Realizations are made, including Apollo’s love of listening to humans read, and the picture gets in a few mild moments of comedy as Iris tries to steer her aging, arthritic Great Dane into directions he doesn’t want to go. “The Friend” takes breaks from pet ownership to focus on the rest of Iris’s life, following her uncomfortable interactions around a concerned building supervisor, and there’s Val, who’s working with the professor to compile and edit Walter’s correspondence for a quick book release, complicating the mourning period.

The Friend Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Friend" deals with the New York City mood of the feature, as the story carries through an autumnal and winter mood. Costuming favors cold-weather gear and remains fibrous. Detail is good with skin particulars on the cast, identifying age and emotional stress. Apollo the dog also makes a textured impression with his hugeness and glassy eyes. Exteriors are common in the movie, exploring the depths of NYC bustle. Apartment and office interiors are also dimensional, preserving room decoration. Color is sharp and cooler, exploring the concrete and stone ways of the city. Decorative elements bring out brighter hues, especially artful additions, and greenery is distinct. Skin tones are natural, extending to the defined black and white look of Apollo. Delineation is satisfactory. Compression issues are present, finding periodic banding, with some displays quite severe.

The Friend Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix isn't a forceful listening experience, reflecting the gentle ways of "The Friend." Dialogue exchanges are defined, with clear emotionality and canine emphasis. Scoring delivers softer piano-based support, providing sharp instrumentation. Soundtrack selections are also secure, with defined vocals. Surround engagement is mild at best, handling some city atmospherics. Low-end isn't challenged.

The Friend Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this release.

The Friend Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Death is a major element of "The Friend," watching Iris gradually understand the complexity of feelings she's experiencing as she confronts the reality of keeping Apollo, handling the prospect of eviction. The material doesn't get too cutesy, and the last act explores some abyssal emotions within Iris, who maintained a seemingly simple relationship with Walter, only to fully understand the complexity of her feelings for a wonderful, yet manipulative and frustrating man. "The Friend" becomes a study of mutual support, and an engaging one offering a fine lead performance from Watts, who works to keep the effort as human as possible while managing a few semi-silly situations. McGehee and Siegel also make a gentle picture, which is welcome. They botch the final sequence of the film (playing with manipulation in a crude manner), but the rest of the dramedy connects as intended, crafting a tender study of wounded hearts.