Bill Murray and Naomi Watts’ new indie drama is getting incredible reviews: “anyone who ever loved a pet must see”

The Friend, the new independent drama starring Bill Murray and Naomi Watts, has been gaining rave reviews ahead of its US release next month. Watts plays a writer who adopts a dog named Apollo that belonged to her late friend and mentor, played by Murray.

• READ MORE: Bill Murray – “You have a short life, this is yours, live it”

Based on the 2018 novel by Sigrid Nunez, critics have been hailing the adaptation as a success ever since its world premiere at Telluride last year.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Caryn James described it as having a “beautiful, light-handed approach to big issues like life, death, friendship and whether a giant dog belongs in a small New York City apartment”. The review continued: “Murray’s casting is crucial in making The Friend work so well. His familiar, rumpled presence is so endearing that we like Walter instantly and understand Iris’ grief”.

Deadline’s Pete Hammond called it a “moving, funny, humane and quite unforgettable tale”, adding that the film “becomes an irresistible experience that anyone who ever loved a pet must see”.

Awards Radar’s Joey Magidson praised the performances of the human and canine stars, writing: “Naomi Watts has rarely been better than she is here. She slowly allows the emotion at play to bubble to the surface. She also just has terrific chemistry with Apollo, played by Bing in an all-timer of an animal performance”.

Steve Pond of The Wrap said of the film: “The Friend juggles the happy, the sad and the bittersweet while somehow managing not to lose the lightness that has kept it afloat”.
The Friend is released in US cinemas on March 21, with a UK date yet to be confirmed.

Recently, Murray kicked of a US music tour, where he sang covers of Bob Dylan and The Kinks. Elsewhere, Watts paid tribute to her Mulholland Drive director David Lynch, who passed away last month, saying “he put me on the map”.

The post Bill Murray and Naomi Watts’ new indie drama is getting incredible reviews: “anyone who ever loved a pet must see” appeared first on NME.