War. Fighting. Disease. Grief. Diane, a filmmaker, finds herself in a bunker after a disastrous worldwide battle. The eccentric General Gore leads her through the bunker on the trip of a lifetime — both in terms of questionable drugs and even more questionable world events. Writer-Director Brian Patrick Butler shows us the philosophical turmoil that survivors of an apocalypse might go through. But Friend of the World isn’t just the depressing realization of impending doom; this is a horror comedy with plenty of sci-fi elements and laughs to lighten the mood when we need it most.
Done in black and white, this 50-minute film decides to fill it’s time with colorful dialog that makes you think. Diane Keaton (can someone say film reference?) is our proxy into this world… or is she? Throughout the film, the dialog she has with Gore makes us question what is true and what’s not, what is really happening and what’s not. Gore is a brute compared to Diane’s hyper liberal (and quite Millennial) stance on life and war. But there are times when we shove off what Diane is saying in favor of something crazy coming out of Gore’s mouth… And then a zombie jumps out. Of course, with with apocalypse come corpses. While Gore and Diane are figuring out life as the last humans, their minds are jumbled around with hallucinations galore. A surprisingly gleeful string arrangement accompanies scenes where humans-turned-monstrosities melt into themselves, shape-shift, and eat rats, bringing the audience into their world of insanity.
Although it admittedly took a few rewinds and rewatches to fully understand, Friend of the World is one I didn’t mind going back to. Every rewatch added something more to the story, both on screen and in my head. Diane is someone I reluctantly identified with; I found her both annoying but honest in her portrayal of a sane person lost in a world of madness. Gore’s raunchy persona was almost like the little devil sitting on her shoulder, slowly helping (and simultaneously not helping) her accept her new life.
And small side note about Gore: I love his actor’s (Nick Young) voice. It’s something I feel like I’ve heard before, and it has this quality that has almost an ASMR effect without whispering.
I don’t know the reasoning behind going all black and white, but it may have something to do with effects work. While I didn’t have a problem with any of the makeup — I appreciated the gore and how they fit in with the hallucinatory storyline — I figure it may have had something to do with budget. Small instances of weird phrasing and somewhat-off movements can bring you out of the film, but luckily there are other factors that bring Friend of the World out of a solid “low-budget” label. For example, this film is divided into chapters, an aspect I found refreshing and helpful in identifying where in the story we were at, or what to expect next. I am also thankful of the shorter runtime; it shows the filmmakers know when their story is done and don’t try to extend when not necessary.
Friend if the World, in all its jolty, giddy, twisted glory is a trip in every sense of the word. You may think you “get it,” but I guarantee a second watch will change your thoughts (for the good). And a third watch, and fourth, and so on. An ever-growing world of backstory, Friend of the World is an indie flick that keeps on giving.
Friend of the World is out now on Tubi, Plex, Vimeo, and more.
