| The Friend | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | The Friend by Sigrid Nunez |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Giles Nuttgens |
| Edited by | Isaac Hagy |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Bleecker Street |
Release dates |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Friend is a 2024 American drama film written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. Based on the 2018 novel by Sigrid Nunez, it stars Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Dowd, Noma Dumezweni, Felix Solis, Owen Teague, and Carla Gugino. It had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and screened in the Gala section at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. [1] [2]
In February 2022, it was announced Naomi Watts had joined the cast of the film, with Scott McGehee and David Siegel set to direct from a screenplay they wrote, based upon the 2018 novel of the same name by Sigrid Nunez. [3] In February 2024, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Constance Wu, Ann Dowd, Noma Dumezweni, Felix Solis and Owen Teague joined the cast. In March 2024, Carla Gugino joined the cast. [4] [5] [6] Principal photography began by February 2024, in New York City. [7] [8]
The Friend premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024, and was also screened in the Gala Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024. In October 2024, Bleecker Street acquired North American distribution rights to the film, planning to release it sometime in early 2025. [9] The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 21, 2025. [10]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 100% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. [11] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [12]
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