The Friend: a 'graceful' but flawed dog movie
Naomi Watts stars in 'intelligent' adaptation of Sigrid Nunez's book about a 'problematic pooch'

From "Turner & Hooch" to "Beethoven", "the tale of a reluctant owner falling in love with a problematic pooch has played out many times on the big screen", said Dulcie Pearce in The Sun. "The Friend" is the latest addition to the canon. It stars Naomi Watts as Iris, a writer who is reeling from the suicide of her friend and literary mentor Walter (Bill Murray, glimpsed mainly in flashback) when she discovers that he has bequeathed her his dog, Apollo. Unfortunately, she lives in a "tiny" New York flat – and Apollo is "a 150lb Great Dane" who has become "deeply depressed" since his master's death.
There are some predictable odd-couple flare-ups, said Robbie Collin in The Daily Telegraph. Apollo chews up half of Iris's belongings – including her "abortive second novel" – and commandeers her bed. She finds herself "wondering what on earth her late confidant thought she could do for this dog", but of course it turns out that Walter "was more intrigued by what the dog might do for her". Sadly, the answer is neither profound nor exciting: indeed, "seldom has a film ever felt like it's trying so hard not to be interesting".
I was interested in the dog, said Deborah Ross in The Spectator. Named Bing in real life, he is "a solemn, mournful presence" with a peculiar majesty. The human stars are good, too. But "The Friend" isn't just doggy hokum. It is based on a novel by Sigrid Nunez – a meditation on grief and friendship that is so literary and meta, you wonder why they ever thought of making it into a movie. Yet Scott McGehee and David Siegel, "who wrote the screenplay and also direct, do seem to have captured" the book's "essence". Their film "is a graceful, respectful and intelligent interpretation, even if it may prove too dramatically underpowered for some".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
King Bibi's profound changes to the Middle East
Feature Over three decades, Benjamin Netanyahu has profoundly changed both Israel and the Middle East.
-
Trump promotes an unproven Tylenol-autism link
Feature Trump gave baseless advice to pregnant women, claiming Tylenol causes autism in children
-
Trump: Demanding the prosecution of his political foes
Feature Trump orders Pam Bondi to ‘act fast’ and prosecute James Comey, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff
-
6 rustic homes on ranches
Feature Featuring copper kitchen counters in Colorado and a 380-acre property in California
-
Steve: a ‘gripping’ drama starring Cillian Murphy
The Week Recommends Murphy plays the frazzled headmaster of a boarding school for ‘delinquent’ boys in this bold Indie film
-
The Lady from the Sea: a ‘thrillingly contemporary’ Ibsen adaptation
The Week Recommends ‘Luminous’ cast dazzle in Simon Stone’s ‘hugely enjoyable’ production
-
Black Rabbit: slick crime thriller set in a high-end New York restaurant
The Week Recommends Two Manhattan brothers resort to ‘ever-more high-stakes’ schemes to tackle ‘huge’ gambling debts in the ‘glossy’ series
-
One Battle After Another: a ‘terrifically entertaining’ watch
The Week Recommends Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest release is a ‘high-octane action thriller’ and a ‘surefire Oscar frontrunner’
-
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny: a novel of ‘undeniable power’
The Week Recommends Kiran Desai’s first novel in nearly 20 years is an ‘enthralling love story’ set across India and the US
-
Color Theories: Julio Torres’ one-man show
Performance Space New York Performance Space New York
-
The 2025 Emmys: A big night for newcomers
Feature The 77th Emmys were full of surprises, from shocking wins and moving speeches to a host’s charity stunt that backfired