The Friend Blu Ray Review (Decal Releasing)

The Friend is a 2024 dramedy written/produced/directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegal (Suture, Bee Season, Uncertainty, What Maisie Knew, and The Deep End). It’s based on the novel from author Sigrid Nunez (The Room Next Door). It was executive produced by actress Naomi Watts (Feud, The Watcher, Gypsy, The Wolf Hour, Infinite Storm, and Goodnight Mommy). It grossed $4,277,098 worldwide at the box office during it’s limited theatrical run. Iris’s (played by: Naomi Watts from The Ring franchise, Mullholland Drive, King Kong, Funny Games, Eastern Promises, and 21 Grams) life is turned upside down when her best friend Walter (played by: Bill Murray from the Ghostbusters franchise, Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, Stripes, Scrooged, and Kingpin) leaves her his Great Dane named Apollo (played by: Bing). She’s not ready for this change and she has no interest in a dog at the time. She now has to deal with her long time New York apartment with serious threats of eviction of her rent controlled environment, she starts bonds with the regal beast and she begins to heal after giving her new companion a real chance!!!! The Friend is a touching, heart warming, and dramatic story of two strangers being put together after a major change in both of their lives. It’s directed by veteran duo Scott McGehee and David Siegal. They always bring something completely new to the table with each project. The Friend is beautifully adapted from the highly acclaimed book. Naomi Watts as Iris gives one of her best performances in a long time. She’s a loyal friend that’s willing to help out the people around her. She’s been struggling with her work for awhile and she’s in desperate need of motivation. She enjoys her routine and it’s altered by a new friend brought into her life. Bill Murray is charming as Walter. Murray promoted all over this film but this is a much smaller role than you would expect from the legend but it’s very important to the story. This might sound a little silly but Bing as Apollo gives one of the greatest performances from an animal in cinematic history. He’s so smart, sweet, and he honestly elevates this entire production with his presence. He reacts to every scenario perfectly and he’s well trained. Bing makes me want to get a Great Dane as a pet someday. The rest of the supporting cast includes Carla Gugino (Watchmen), Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Josh Pais (Ray Donovan), Ann Dowd (Hereditary), Cloé Xhauflaire (The First Purge), Noma Dumezweni (The Little Mermaid), Sarah Pidgeon (The Wilds), Annie Fox (Home Free), Owen Teague (IT), Carrie Vu (Mr. Robot), Jess Gabor (Shameless), Felix Solis (Ozark), and Sue Jean Kim (The Blacklist). The relationship between Iris and Apollo takes awhile to get somewhere and develop since they are both unfamiliar with each other. The more time that they spend together, their new bond gets stronger. The Friend has a good mix of drama and comedy. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one because I didn’t know much about it and I made sure to not watch the trailer before I experienced it myself. It’s a personal and compelling dynamic between the two leads. The Friend will surprise you in every possible way. This sleeper is one of the most underrated gems of this year, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation from Decal Releasing! This 1080p (2.39:1) transfer looks very sharp for it’s blu ray debut. All of the New York locations and Bing really pop out when it comes to visuals. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on the disc. The Friend isn’t action packed or suspenseful but the audio stands out when it comes to it’s score and soundtrack. All of the dialogue is crisp, the unique friendship is elevated, and the music has a huge boost to it. It has English SDH and Spanish subtitles. There’s no extras on this home video release. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!