The Friend

Name: The Friend
Genre: Drama
Released: April 8, 2005
Duration: 105 min
Rating: 63

2005

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

Films Philos | Release Date: April 8, 2005

Summary: This story about two college students addresses the cultural divisions facing us in the 21st Century and the spread of terrorism that can foment and stem from these divisions. (Films Philos)

Director: Elmar Fischer

Genre(s): Drama

Runtime: 105 min

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Critic Reviews

Kyle Smith

Akhavan plays each change brilliantly in a film that is so tightly controlled that the mere glimpse of a new beard or a prayer mat being unrolled becomes a moment of horror. Read full review

David Blaylock

Shot on DV, the film looks awful, but this homemade quality fosters an authenticity that allows for startling suspense as Yunes's secret life comes to light. Read full review

Deborah Young

After a tedious start building up the boys' lives and friendship, feature bow by Elmar Fischer becomes deeply engrossing in its second half, as the viewer learns of the hero's anguish and doubts. Read full review

Elizabeth Weitzman

Actors do an excellent job portraying young people struggling with an almost manic paranoia. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Maitland McDonagh

If his ambitious first feature isn't entirely successful, it nevertheless poses genuinely provocative questions and opens a window into the way the 9/11 disaster looks from outside the U.S. Read full review

Lawrence Van Gelder

Some may be offended by this film's use of Sept. 11 as a plot device, but ultimately The Friend is less concerned with the politics of terror than with its psychology. Read full review

Reece Pendleton

The film's elliptical structure seems little more than a device to compensate for the thin dramatic material, but it's saved by a fine ensemble cast and Akhavan's convincing transformation from a naive romantic to a disturbing reactionary. Read full review

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