Streaming Recommends - Friendship Movies
In response to a request from one of our Instagram followers, we whipped up some great friendship movies to get you through self-quarantine! Stay safe and healthy out there, everyone!
Bridesmaids (2011) - HBO
IMDb synopsis: Competition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid, over who is the bride's best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.
The girl squad gives the audience such a rip-roaring good time that you might forget that you’re running low on toilet paper. We talked extensively about Bridesmaids on our guest spot on the Movie Marathoners Podcast (Best Comedies of the Decade). - Jess
Booksmart (2019) - Hulu
IMDb synopsis: On the eve of their high school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night.
Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein play best friends, and they couldn’t be more charming and hilarious. Check out our review of Booksmart on Episode 57 and its entrance on our Best Movies of the Decade list, as well as on Episode 89, when we talk about the best movies of 2019. - Jess
Stand By Me (1986) - Vudu
IMDb synopsis: After the death of one of his friends, a writer recounts a boyhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
It’s a classic that stars some notable faces: River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Kiefer Sutherland. - Jess
Thelma & Louise (1991) - Vudu
IMDb synopsis: Two best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two girls escape for the crimes they committed.
You know that memorable scene of Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis clutching hands as their convertible goes careening off a cliff? Yeah, that’s this movie. - Jess
When Harry Met Sally (1989) - Hulu
IMDb synopsis: Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.
We cover WHMS extensively on our Episode 64 rewind for the 30th anniversary and on our Episode 82 Hispanic Inquisition, but damn, what else is there to say? Can men and women be friends? I don’t know! - Rico
Her (2013) - Netflix
IMDb synopsis: In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.
Sure, the friendship between Joaquin Phoenix and a computer AI played by Scarlett Johanssen turns into something more, but Phoenix and Adams? That’s a true platonic man/woman friendship. We cover Her on our Movie Blindspots Episode 71 and it comes in at number 19 on our Best Movies of the Decade list. - Jess
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Netflix
IMDb synopsis: Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.
A movie that feels like it was released in theaters with the “TNT” logo in the corner, the friendship established between cellmates is one that crosses barriers of the time, such as race and crime, and shows that a friendship can start anywhere. - Rico
A Little Princess (1995) - Netflix
IMDb synopsis: A young girl is relegated to servitude at a boarding school when her father goes missing and is presumed dead.
The friendship between Sara and Becky still has me in my feels. It’s just so sweet and genuine. Bring on the nostalgia for this ’90s baby! - Jess
Sherlock Holmes (2009) - Amazon Prime
IMDb synopsis: Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
Although the movie is an action-adventure who-done-it, what makes this movie tick is the relationship between Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and John Watson (Jude Law). You come for the mystery but stay for the witty banter between the two leads. - Rico
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987) - Amazon Prime
IMDb synopsis: A man must struggle to travel home for Thanksgiving with a lovable oaf of a shower curtain ring salesman as his only companion.
Steve Martin and John Candy are two of the greatest comedic talents, coming together in an “odd couple” scenario, where a man is just trying to get home and everything gets in his way. Luckily, he has an unsuspecting friend for the ride. - Rico
Late Night (2019) - Amazon Prime
IMDb synopsis: A late night talk show host suspects that she may soon lose her long-running show.
There are not many movies showing a friendship bond between a mentor/mentee, but Mindy Kaling’s writing does wonders for Emma Thompson to show off her comedic chops. We talk about Late Night on Episode 60! - Rico
A Simple Favor (2018) - Amazon Prime
IMDb synopsis: Stephanie is a single mother with a parenting vlog who befriends Emily, a secretive upper-class woman who has a child at the same elementary school. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to investigate.
I still don’t think we know what to make of this movie, but what I do know is that these ladies were friends at some point. - Jess
Lady Bird (2017) - Amazon Prime
IMDb synopsis: In 2002, an artistically inclined seventeen-year-old girl comes of age in Sacramento, California.
Friendship has its ups and downs, especially in high school when anything can be the end of the world for you. Lady Bird and Julie show that while friends can fight, the bond is what keeps them together. Lady Bird does make an appearance on our Best Movies of the Decade list. - Rico
Super 8 (2011) - Amazon Prime
IMDb synopsis: During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.
This is a great impression that JJ Abrams does to classic Spielberg. Abrams does a great impression of the iconic director, mixing in the friendship from The Goonies with the sci-fi aspects you would see in Stranger Things. - Rico
The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) - Amazon Prime
IMDb synopsis: Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.
Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon bring some comedy to the action genre, teaming up to show that you can make a buddy-crime comedy with some charismatic, funny women. We reviewed the movie on a Double Feature episode back in August 2018! - Rico