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The Friend poster

The Friend

Movie 2025 119 min M Comedy, Drama
AMU 16+ * Quality ★★★☆☆

Our take

The Friend is an R-rated drama about a writer grieving her mentor and caring for a Great Dane left behind. Expect pet-death grief, suicide references, strong profanity, and mature relationship dialogue. Emotional weight is high; violence stays minimal. Adults and mature older teens only

Story (may spoil tone)

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.

AMU ages are independent editorial opinions. They are not legal classifications and are not issued by the Classification Board, the MPAA, or any other official classification body. Official labels on this site, such as PG or R, come from those bodies or our data sources, not from AMU. AMU guides are not a substitute for official classification. Cuts and details can differ by version. Use them as one input only. You decide what is right for your family.

Violence
Mild
Language
Strong
Sex / nudity
Mild
Drugs / alcohol
Frightening
Mild
Self-harm / suicide
Moderate
Sexual violence
Mild
Bullying / discrimination
Gore / death / weapons
Dangerous behaviour
Eating disorders / body image
Mental health
Mild
Gambling
Grief / bereavement
Strong

Details

Violence Mild Scuffles, weapons talk, and peril spikes in key scenes

Scuffles, weapons talk, and peril spikes in key scenes

Language Strong Frequent strong profanity including f-word during tense scenes

Frequent strong profanity including f-word during tense scenes

Sex / nudity Mild Kiss references, flirtation, or mild innuendo in dialogue

Kiss references, flirtation, or mild innuendo in dialogue

Drugs / alcohol No drugs found in this title

No drugs found in this title

Frightening Mild Tense or spooky beats may feel intense for younger viewers

Tense or spooky beats may feel intense for younger viewers

Self-harm / suicide Moderate Suicide references thread through the mentor's legacy

Suicide references thread through the mentor's legacy

Sexual violence Mild Sexual-assault reference in dialogue without graphic depiction

Sexual-assault reference in dialogue without graphic depiction

Bullying / discrimination No bullying found in this title

No bullying found in this title

Gore / death / weapons No gore found in this title

No gore found in this title

Dangerous behaviour No dangerous behavior found in this title

No dangerous behavior found in this title

Eating disorders / body image No eating found in this title

No eating found in this title

Mental health Mild Brief mental-health reference in passing dialogue

Brief mental-health reference in passing dialogue

Gambling No gambling found in this title

No gambling found in this title

Grief / bereavement Strong Pet loss and mentor death dominate the emotional story

Pet loss and mentor death dominate the emotional story

Talk after watching

  • Grief arrives through a dog and unfinished friendship. How do people honor someone after they are gone?
  • The lead's solitude shifts when responsibility arrives. What helps when loss feels overwhelming?
  • Suicide and depression appear in conversation. How can families talk safely about mental health?