Our Friend

Name: Our Friend
Genre: Drama
Released: January 22, 2021
Duration: 124 min
Rating: 57
Cast: Ahna O'Reilly, Azita Ghanizada, Casey Affleck, Cherry Jones, Dakota Johnson

2021

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	Your Score
6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Gravitas Ventures | Release Date: January 22, 2021 | Not Rated

Starring: Ahna O'Reilly, Azita Ghanizada, Casey Affleck, Cherry Jones, Dakota Johnson, Denée Benton, Gwendoline Christie, Isabella Kai Rice, Jake Owen, Jason Bayle, Jason Segel, Jeronimo Spinx, John McConnell, Marielle Scott, Michael Papajohn, Reed Diamond, Violet McGraw

Summary: [Formerly known as "The Friend."] After learning that his terminally ill wife has six months to live, a man welcomes the support of his best friend who moves into their home to help out. His impact on the whole family is much greater than anyone could have imagined.

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 124 min

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Critic Reviews

Joe Morgenstern

Jan 21, 2021

The intimacy of Ms. Johnson’s performance is extraordinary. She is the least assertive of movie stars, yet the courage, despair and fury she finds in Nicole will lift you up and spin you around. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Sheila O'Malley

Jan 22, 2021

Our Friend is very good where it really counts and that's on the small details, the everyday life aspect of doing errands, cooking dinner, while your family is going through this harrowing ordeal. Cancer consumes the patient, but it also ravages the family. Read full review

Ty Burr

Jan 26, 2021

Some things remain a mystery. If we were a little bit better as people, this decent, clear-eyed movie hints, they might not. Read full review

Fionnuala Halligan

Sep 13, 2019

A handsome, earnest drama ... This is a tasteful, respectful and thoughtful film about what it means to be a true friend in the darkest of times. Read full review

Steve Davis

Jan 21, 2021

Aside from Segel’s grounding performance, the pleasures of Our Friend lie in some of its observational specifics about human behavior. Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Sep 13, 2019

An honest but insistently scattershot true-life tearjerker ... Most of the fault lies with the fragmented, nonlinear structure “The Friend” uses to approximate the flowing nature of the Esquire piece. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Sep 13, 2019

So much of the unpleasantness has been scrubbed from the picture, until what remains is precisely the kind of dishonest, sanitized no-help-to-anyone TV-movie version of death that inspired Teague to set the record straight in the first place. Read full review

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User Reviews

davemelbourne58

Feb 17, 2021

Great cast. Broke my heart. Jason Segel surprised me. Family and friends are what sustain us as humans. They got a LOT of things right with this story

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TVJerry

Jan 28, 2021

The titular character is played by Jason Segel, relishing an opportunity to go heavy. He’s besties with a married couple (Casey Affleck and Dakota Johnson). When she’s diagnosed with terminal cancer, he moves in with them and their 2 young daughters to help them cope. Yes, this is as grim asThe titular character is played by Jason Segel, relishing an opportunity to go heavy. He’s besties with a married couple (Casey Affleck and Dakota Johnson). When she’s diagnosed with terminal cancer, he moves in with them and their 2 young daughters to help them cope. Yes, this is as grim as you might imagine. Making it somewhat more interesting (and sometimes confusing and sometimes frustrating) is that the timeline continually jumps around to reveal more about their relationships and extend the misery. The actors all do a fine job, but the continually intense interactions take a toll. Making it harder to handle is the 2 hour running time. Ironically, it’s based on a magazine article, but the length feels more like a novel. As an examination of death and friendship, the film is earnest, but the rambling narrative and extended length dilutes the film’s emotional impact.

One weird aspect: Even though the movie takes place in Alabama and New Orleans, only one person (the always wonderful Cherry Jones in a small part) has any trace of a Southern accent.… Expand

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78	#78 Best Movie of 2021
54	#54 Most Discussed Movie of 2021