If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably seen clips of a tiny woman walking a dog the size of a pony through the streets of New York. That woman is Naomi Watts. The "pony" is actually a 150-pound Great Dane named Bing.
The movie is called The Friend.
It’s not just another "sad dog movie" where you need to bring three boxes of tissues and prepare for emotional trauma. Honestly, it’s much weirder and more beautiful than that. Based on Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning novel, the film follows Iris (Watts), a writer who unexpectedly inherits a massive Great Dane named Apollo after her mentor and longtime friend Walter (Bill Murray) dies by suicide.
What Is the Naomi Watts Dog Movie Actually About?
Basically, it’s a story about grief that happens to have a very large, very droopy-faced animal at the center of it. Iris lives in a tiny, rent-controlled Manhattan apartment. It's the kind of place where a toaster feels like a space commitment. Then, suddenly, she has Apollo.
Apollo is depressed. He won't eat. He sprawls across her bed like a living rug, his heavy sighs echoing the loss they both feel. The movie doesn't rely on cheap tricks. It doesn't make the dog talk or give him human-like expressions through CGI. Bing, the real-life Great Dane who plays Apollo, just is. His presence is massive, inconvenient, and eventually, the only thing keeping Iris from falling apart.
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The Bill Murray Connection
You might be wondering how Bill Murray fits into this. He plays Walter, the charismatic, somewhat problematic literary giant who leaves his dog to Iris without actually asking her first.
Most of Murray's performance is told through flashbacks. You see the complicated history between him and Iris—they were friends, mentors, and at one point, something a bit more. When he's gone, he leaves behind a tangled web of three ex-wives (played by heavy hitters like Carla Gugino and Constance Wu) and a legacy that Iris has to help manage.
The dynamic is fascinating. While the "dog movie" label gets people in the door, the film is really an exploration of the "literary life" in New York. It’s about writers talking to other writers about writing. If that sounds dry, the Great Dane is there to knock over a lamp and remind everyone that life is messy.
Does the Dog Die in The Friend?
Let’s address the elephant—or the Great Dane—in the room.
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The biggest question people have before clicking "play" on any movie involving a pet is: Does the dog die? In the original book by Sigrid Nunez, the ending is a bit more ambiguous and, frankly, heavier. However, the filmmakers, Scott McGehee and David Siegel, made a very conscious choice for the screen version. They’ve gone on record saying they didn't want to make a movie that punished the audience.
Spoiler alert: The dog lives.
There is a sequence near the end that plays with reality—a sort of "fantasy" conversation—that has confused some viewers. But the core takeaway is that Iris and Apollo find a way to move forward together. It’s a relief. You can watch it without that looming sense of dread that usually accompanies films like Marley & Me.
Why Bing Is the Real Breakout Star
While Naomi Watts delivers what many critics are calling career-best work, everyone is talking about Bing.
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Bing wasn't a "professional" actor before this. The directors looked at dozens of dogs before finding him. They needed a Harlequin Great Dane (the ones with the black and white patches) who had a specific kind of soulful energy.
During filming, Watts reportedly spent weeks bonding with Bing, taking him for walks and just hanging out so their on-screen chemistry felt real. It worked. When you see her leaning her head against his massive flank, it doesn't feel like "acting." It feels like two creatures trying to navigate a world that suddenly feels too quiet.
Quick Facts About the Film:
- Release Date: It hit limited theaters in March 2025 and expanded nationwide in April 2025.
- Streaming: It’s currently a massive hit on Paramount+, often sitting in the Top 10.
- Runtime: Approximately 120 minutes.
- The Apartment Factor: A huge plot point involves Iris’s "no pets" policy and her kind-hearted super, Hektor (Felix Solis), who tries to help her hide a 150-pound secret.
Is It Worth Watching?
Honestly, yeah. Especially if you’ve ever lost someone and felt like you didn't know where to put all that leftover love.
The movie is slow. It’s contemplative. It captures that specific New York vibe of intellectual loneliness. Some people might find the "writer-speak" a bit much, but the relationship between the woman and the dog grounds everything. It’s about the silent ways we heal.
If you're looking for an action-packed plot, this isn't it. But if you want a movie that treats grief with dignity and gives you a magnificent Great Dane to look at for two hours, The Friend is exactly what you need.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you've already seen the movie and want more, you should definitely pick up the novel by Sigrid Nunez. It’s written as a long, unsent letter to the dead friend, and it offers a much deeper look into Iris’s internal monologue than a movie ever could. You can also check out the "making of" clips on Paramount+, which show how they managed to get a Great Dane to hit his marks in the middle of a crowded Manhattan sidewalk.