Movie

The Friend

2025 · 119 min

A quiet, bittersweet character study that finds warmth and gentle humor in the slow process of grieving and bonding with an animal.

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.
How it feels: Melancholic, warm, earnest and dark. Slow-burning and needs your attention.
About: Grief, isolation, friendship, healing
Content: Mild sexual content and language. No violence or gore.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown

Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
warmstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: grief
isolation
friendship
healing
art
Places: big city
single country house
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: nonlinear
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence none
Sex mild