One of the most effective and tried-and-true themes and concepts in the world of film, no matter the genre, is the dynamic duo of friends who lead the film. It can make for an especially effective and dynamic viewing experience to see the events of the film unfolding not through the eyes of an individual protagonist but a duo of best friends with an undeniable bond. It’s a trend and concept that has existed since the beginning of film as a medium, with a multitude of iconic friendship duos gracing the silver screen over the years.
The trend has proven to be so successful that entire films can be propped up and defined by their core friendship and the numerous themes and concepts that go along with an undeniable bond. Letterboxd, inone of their most recent showdowns,asked the Letterboxd community which films were the best when it came to showing off such iconic friendships and masterful duos. While the choices are certainly biased toward the tastes and recency of Letterboxd’s user base, it makes for an interesting mix of new and old as to which friendship-duo films are the best.
Directed by Edgar Wright
While it’s relatively rare to see a horror film whose primary theme and concept surround an unbreakable friendship bond, there’s no denying thatShaun of the Deadmassively excels in this regard. The film follows the story of Shaun (Simon Pegg), who lives an uneventful life, spending most of his time drinking at bars and relaxing with his best friend, Ed (Nick Frost). However, when an outbreak of flesh-eating zombies begins creating chaos in his town, Shaun and Ed hatch a plan to pick up their friends and family and then hide out in a pub until it all blows over.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have become a quintessential example of actors who continuously find themselves playing beloved and iconic film friendships over the years, withShaun of the Deadeasily being their most prominent. While there are a lot of aspects ofShaun of the Deadto love, from the signature style of humor toEdgar Wright’s directing style, the core that has helped the film stay iconic in the realm of horror comedies is the bond of friendship between Shaun and Ed.
Shaun of the Dead
Directed by Greg Mottola
While many coming-of-age and teen movies have focused on the themes and concepts of friendship and bonding, few films have truly captured the essence of a teenage friendship likeSuperbad. The film follows the story of best friends and high school seniors Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) as they attempt to make the most of their time before going off to college by attending a massive party. While on their journey, they face numerous wild obstacles and characters as they come to realize the importance of their own friendship.
It’s difficult to understate just how effectiveSuperbadis, not only in terms of coming-of-age films for the era but acting as one of the quintessential examples of teenage friendship for the 2000s. The relationship and bond between Seth and Evan come from a place of authenticity, and despite all the comedic, over-the-top antics that the characters get into,their dependence on one another is what keeps them grounded and relatable. The film is still largely praised as one of the most iconic andrewatchable comedies of the 2000s.
Watch on Amazon Prime
8’Back to the Future' (1985)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Easilyone of the most iconic and memorable duos in film history, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) from the originalBack to the Futureare one of the first duos people think of when they consider duos in film. While the duo would find themselves embarking on numerous adventures throughout the iconic time-traveling trilogy, the original film that started it all easily had the biggest impact, as well as the best display of the duo’s friendship.
While the duo itself isn’t at the forefront of the film’s themes and focus as much as other quintessential friendship duo films, one simply can’t deny the memorability and impact of the friendship between Doc and Marty. The duo has continuously stood the test of time over almost 40 years as one of the greatest and most influential duos of all time, ushering in a wave of other sci-fi films, coming-of-age films, and everything in between. The duo’s influence is still strong even to this day, continuously acting as direct inspiration for modern major franchises likeRick and Morty.
Back to the Future
7’Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003)
Directed by Peter Jackson
There are a multitude of great characters, storylines, and throughlines throughout the entirePeter JacksonLord of the Ringstrilogy, yetThe Return of the Kingis easily the franchise’s greatest display and payoff of unbreakable friendship bonds. In the final chapter of the trilogy, the film follows the climactic last leg of the journey of bringing the One Ring to Mount Doom to be destroyed, while at the same time, a group of heroes join forces to face off against Sauron and his army.
The Return of the Kingis continuously praised not just as one of the best finales to a trilogy of all time but as one of the best films of all time, withone of many aspects that have made it so impactful being the payoff for the friendship between Sam and Frodo. While all the battles and moments throughout the film are displayed, the friendship between Sam and Frodo and their unending dedication to each other and the journey is emotional, breathtaking, and elevates an already exceptional film.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Watch on Max
6’The Banshees of Inisherin' (2022)
Director: Martin McDonagh
The Banshees of Inisherinis one of the best modern examples of a film that tackles a friendship’s tumultuous ups and downs and the pains that can result in falling out and an unexpected loss of connection. The film follows once-lifelong friends Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson),who find themselves at a strange impasse when Colm suddenly and abruptly ends their friendship, much to the dismay of Pádraic. While he attempts to do all he can to rekindle this friendship, his attempts only drive a wedge even further between them, resulting in dire consequences.
While many movies about friendship will focus on the strengths and upsides of friendship,few films have tackled the opposite, showing the painful realities of losing a friendship. These themes and central aspects of the film are further amplified by the underlying allegory and parallels to the Irish Civil War, a time period that the film takes place during and acts as a true meaning for the film. The film, despite its seemingly depressing nature,finds exceptional comedy despite it all, thanks in part to the hilarious and emotional performances of Farrell and Gleeson.
The Banshees of Inisherin
5’RRR' (2022)
Directed by S. S. Rajamouli
An Indian action movie that fully delivers satisfying and awe-inspiring action sequences all surrounding and amplified by the dynamic friendship duo at the center of it all,RRRtakes the bonds of friendship to the next level. The film follows the fictional history of two legendary revolutionaries, who, on their own journeys for the liberation of India, end up meeting paths, becoming best friends, having to face off against one another, and fighting alongside one another for freedom.
RRRdoes an exceptional job of not only going through the motions and evolution of the friendship between Ram and Bheem but alsocomplimenting each chapter of their friendship with explosive action and outstanding visuals. It helps transform their plight and story into one of Herculean proportions, as well as making their separation that much more painful, as well as their rekindling as exciting as ever. The film brilliantly keeps the focus of the audience for over 3 hours without losing sight of what makes it so effective, creatingone of the best action movies in recent memory.
Watch on Netflix
4’Monsters, Inc.' (2001)
Director: Pete Docter
While the world of animation has seen many iconic friendship duos over the years, none have quite reached the levels of electric screen presence combined with genuine reliability as Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) fromMonsters, Inc.The film sees the duo of monsters working blue-collar jobs as the monsters that scare children at night, even though most monsters are even more scared of children. Once a human child miraculously finds her way into the monster world, however, Mike and Sully end up getting stuck with taking care of her and helping her return to her home.
What makes Mike and Sully such an effective friendship duo compared to the multitude of other animated duos is their genuine connection and parallels to real-life friendships and coworkers.It’s easy to believe right from the get-go that this duo has had a long and varied historyof not only working together but living together as roommates and as true best friends in the monster world. Their core friendship proved to be so important and pivotal in the film that its very inception would end up being the inspiration for the prequel film,Monsters University.
Monsters, Inc.
3’Booksmart' (2019)
Director: Olivia Wilde
Acting as an almost modern-day, Gen Z equivalent to whatSuperbadwas for millennials,Booksmarthas quickly become a signature rallying cry and portrait of the same types of teenage friendship struggles, just for the next generation. The film follows the story of best friends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), who have spent their high school years striving to be the best academics possible, but in the process have missed out on the joys of teenage life. To make up for lost time, the duo set out to do everything that they’d missed out on in one single night.
Each generation is going to have its own relatable and effective coming-of-age teen movies to fall in love with and relate to, soit makes sense that the primarily younger user base of Letterboxd would flock to this generation’s signature teen friendship comedy. Even aside from simply copying what made previous teenage friendship movies work,Booksmartfeels likea true evolution and the next step for the subgenre, expanding upon the themes and dynamics that have made it effective for so long.
2’Bottoms' (2023)
Director: Emma Seligman
If there was ever a movie that was designed to be enjoyed and endlessly rewatched by the Letterboxd community, it would beBottoms, a film that feels handcrafted to appeal to the signature tastes of the Letterboxd user base. The film follows the story of social outcast best friends PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), who, after being sick of being at the bottom of the social pecking order, start a fight club to gain popularity as well as hook up with hot girls. The duo soon find themselves way over their heads when the fight club starts having a real positive impact, with it only being a matter of time before the truth of their lie comes out.
The signature, in-your-face, wildly chaotic, and unabashedly LGBTQ+ energy ofBottomsmade ita smash hit among Letterboxd users well before it even came out, with the film being more popular on the site than major 2023 blockbusters likeWonkaandThe Super Mario Bros. Movie. Much like the teen movies that the film is parodying,Bottoms’s most effective strengths come from its core dynamics and friendship between PJ and Josie, with these classic themes simply wrapped up in a wild and violent package.
1’Thelma and Louise' (1991)
Directed by Ridley Scott
When it comes to impactful and iconic friendships in the world of cinema, none are quite as legendary and recognizable as the titularThelma & Louise, whoseheartbreaking story of friendship and commitment defined a generation. The film follows the duo as they are on the run as fugitives across the country after Louise shot and killed a man who tried to rape Thelma, putting them in a deeply incriminating situation. While on the run from the authorities, the duo end up discovering the importance of their friendship and the powerful bond that they’ve created.
Thelma & Louiseis a powerful display of female friendship set perfectly ina road trip, on-the-run settingthat has worked so perfectly for films about iconic duos in the past. It’s a film that is as fun and energetic as it is emotional and heartbreaking, as its tale of friendship ends in tragedy, yet, at the same time, blissful acceptance of the joys and beauty of the past. It’s no wonder that the film has made an undeniable impact on the Letterboxd community as one of, if not the greatest friendship-duo movies of all time.
