SimilarScreen
The Friend

The Friend

20256.71h 59m

Overview

New York City writer Iris finds her comfortable, solitary life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor bequeaths her a Great Dane named Apollo. The huge dog 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.

Directed by David Siegel
Written by Scott McGehee, Sigrid Nunez, David Siegel
Produced by David Siegel, Liza Chasin, Scott McGehee
Box Office0Revenue: $4.1M

Top Cast

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts

Iris

Bill Murray

Bill Murray

Walter

Ann Dowd

Ann Dowd

Marjorie

Constance Wu

Constance Wu

Tuesday

Sarah Pidgeon

Sarah Pidgeon

Val

Carla Gugino

Carla Gugino

Elaine

Noma Dumezweni

Noma Dumezweni

Barbara

Felix Solis

Felix Solis

Hektor

Owen Teague

Owen Teague

Carter

Bing

Bing

Apollo

Themes & Keywords

new york citysuicidebased on novel or bookmentorwriterdogdeath of friendinformative

About The Friend

The Friend is a comedy, drama film released in 2025 exploring themes of new york city, suicide, based on novel or book, mentor, writer, dog. Directed by David Siegel, it stars Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Ann Dowd. New York City writer Iris finds her comfortable, solitary life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor bequeaths her a Great Dane named Apollo. The huge dog 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.

Movies Similar to The Friend

Discover titles like The Friend — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to The Friend

If you enjoyed The Friend, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of The Friend.

The Devil Wears Prada
28% Match

A young woman from the Midwest gets more than she bargained for when she moves to New York to become a writer and ends up as the assistant to the tyrannical, larger-than-life editor-in-chief of a major fashion magazine.

In Her Shoes
28% Match

Irresponsible party girl Maggie is kicked out of her father's and stepmother's home—where she lives for free—and is taken in by her hard-working sister, Philadelphia lawyer Rose. After Maggie's disruptive ways ruin her sister's love life, Rose turns her out as well. But when their grandmother, who they never knew existed, comes into their lives, the sisters face some complicated truths about themselves and their family.

A Man Called Otto
27% Match

When a lively young family moves in next door, grumpy widower Otto Anderson meets his match in a quick-witted, pregnant woman named Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world upside down.

The Squid and the Whale
27% Match

Based on the true childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach and his brother, The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.

The Butcher Boy
26% Match

Francie and Joe live the usual playful, fantasy filled childhoods of normal boys. However, with a violent, alcoholic father and a manic depressive, suicidal mother the pressure on Francie to grow up are immense. When Francie's world turns to madness, he tries to counter it with further insanity, with dire consequences.

Marley & Me
26% Match

A newly married couple, in the process of starting a family, learn many of life's important lessons from their trouble-loving retriever, Marley. Packed with plenty of laughs to lighten the load, the film explores the highs and lows of marriage, maturity and confronting one's own mortality, as seen through the lens of family life with a dog.

Is This Thing On?
26% Match

As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.

On the Count of Three
25% Match

Val has reached a place where he feels the only way out is to end things. But he considers himself a bit of a failure—his effectiveness lacking—so he figures he could use some help. As luck would have it, Val’s best friend, Kevin, is recovering from a failed suicide attempt, so he seems like the perfect partner for executing this double suicide plan. But before they go, they have some unfinished business to attend to.

Breakfast at Tiffany's
25% Match

Holly Golightly is an eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. But when young writer Paul Varjak moves into her apartment building, her past threatens to get in their way.

Love Again
25% Match

Love Again(2023)

Movie6.7/10

Mira Ray, dealing with the loss of her fiancé, John, sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number… not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns' new work phone. Rob, a journalist, is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of megastar Céline Dion, he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person and win her heart.

Moving On
25% Match

Moving On(2023)

Movie5.8/10

Two old friends reconnect at their friend's funeral, and decide to exact revenge on the widower who wronged all three of them decades earlier.

Not Okay
25% Match

Not Okay(2022)

Movie6.3/10

An ambitious young woman, desperate for followers and fame, fakes a trip to Paris to up her social media presence. When a terrifying incident takes place in the real world and becomes part of her imaginary trip, her white lie becomes a moral quandary that offers her all the attention she’s wanted.