Friend of the World (2022)

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Release Date: Apr 01, 2022
Rated: R | Runtime: 50 Mins | Language: English
Director: Brian Patrick Butler
Stars: Nick Young, Alexandra Slade, Michael C. Burgess, Kathryn Schott, Kevin Smith, Luke Anthony Pensabene, Brian Patrick Butler, Daniel N. Butler

Summary

After a catastrophic global war, a young filmmaker awakens in the carnage and seeks refuge in the only other survivor: an eccentric, ideologically opposed figure of the United States military. Together, they brave the toxic landscape in search of safety... and answers.

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'Friend of the World' - Troma Now Trailer (2022)

What to Expect

Friend of the World is not your typical comedy-horror film. Besides its unusual length, it has several styles and themes and does not fit into a single genre. It's a trippy existential film in a post-apocalyptic setting that plays out like a Kubrick or Lynch movie with Cronenberg body horror. It's a lot like a play, with two people at the forefront, carrying the audience with them through the story.

The strongest points of the film come through its dialogue-driven characters and the phenomenal performances put out by the actors. The cinematography is great as are the special effects. You can tell this is a low-budget film that really utilized all of its resources to come together. The screenplay is absurdly funny and gets your brain spinning. There is the topic of disease and war, played out with mutating zombie-like figures that melt and merge with the living. This part of the movie is minimal but really helps capture the creativity of this world.

The movie is set up like 10 Cloverfield Lane and reminds me of The Thing, Night of the Living Dead, and Possum. Several easter eggs toward other movies are in there as well. There's a psychological element and satire among the overall tone of classic science fiction. The film does a good job capturing the solitude and isolation that we used to think only existed in movies. This is a timely film to watch since its release and it hits a home run with originality.

It's critically acclaimed but Friend of the World is not for everyone. This is a film for those who enjoy the weird, bizarre, strange, and surreal methods of arthouse cinema. I'd recommend it for fans of The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror, David Lynch, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, Stanley Kubrick, and George A. Romero.

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Movie Review: Friend of the World (2022) Review

Critic Reviews:

My only issue with the film is that it sometimes comes off a little disconnected, almost like a web series stitched together. That doesn’t negate the fantastic satire of Brian Patrick Butler’s film, which is equal parts depraved and charming.

– Horror Obsessive

There are plenty of elements at play in Friend of the World, some engaging and some banal but Butler can’t harmonise this into something worthwhile. Young’s performance keeps the film from becoming boring but you’re left with so few answers to the film’s constant ambiguity that it’s hard for the audience to maintain invested interest.

– UK Film Review

With characters that seem like archetypes at opposite ends of American society and a style that falls into the art/experimental film category, this won’t be for everyone. The way it leaves much of its events up to the viewer’s interpretation will also annoy some people as much as it will delight others.

– Voices From The Balcony