10 Best Friendship-Duo Movies, According to Letterboxd (2024)

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, in one 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.

10 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004)

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 that Shaun of the Dead massively 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, with Shaun of the Dead easily being their most prominent. While there are a lot of aspects of Shaun of the Dead to love, from the signature style of humor to Edgar 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

R

Comedy

Horror

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Not available

Release Date

April 9, 2004

Director

Edgar Wright

Cast

Simon Pegg , Kate Ashfield , Nick Frost , Lucy Davis , Dylan Moran , Nicola Cunningham

Runtime

99

Studio

Rogue Pictures (Focus Features)

9 'Superbad' (2007)

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 like Superbad. 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 effective Superbad is, 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 and rewatchable comedies of the 2000s.

Superbad

R

Comedy

Release Date

March 20, 2007

Director

Greg Mottola

Cast

Jonah Hill , Michael Cera , Christopher Mintz-Plasse , Bill Hader , Seth Rogen , Martha MacIsaac

Runtime

113

Studio

Columbia Pictures

Watch on Amazon Prime

8 'Back to the Future' (1985)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Easily one of the most iconic and memorable duos in film history, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) from the original Back to the Future are 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 like Rick and Morty.

Back to the Future

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Not available

Release Date

July 3, 1985

Director

Robert Zemeckis

Cast

Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd , Lea Thompson , Crispin Glover , Thomas F. Wilson , Claudia Wells

Runtime

116

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 entire Peter JacksonLord of the Rings trilogy, yet The Return of the King is 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 King is 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, with one 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

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Release Date

December 17, 2003

Director

Peter Jackson

Cast

Noel Appleby , Alexandra Astin , Sean Astin , David Aston , John Bach , Sean Bean

Runtime

201 minutes

Watch on Max

6 'The Banshees of Inisherin' (2022)

Director: Martin McDonagh

The Banshees of Inisherin is 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

R

Drama

Comedy

Crime

Where to Watch

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Not available

Release Date

October 21, 2022

Director

Martin McDonagh

Cast

Colin Farrell , Brendan Gleeson , Barry Keoghan , Kerry Condon

Runtime

1h 54m

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, RRR takes 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.

RRR does an exceptional job of not only going through the motions and evolution of the friendship between Ram and Bheem but also complimenting 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, creating one of the best action movies in recent memory.

RRR

R

Action

Adventure

Epic

Release Date

March 25, 2022

Director

S.S. Rajamouli

Cast

Ram Charan , Ajay Devgn

Runtime

187 minutes

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) from Monsters, 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 history of 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.

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Release Date

November 23, 2001

Director

Pete Docter , David Silverman , Lee Unkrich

Cast

Billy Crystal , John Goodman , Mary Gibbs , Steve Buscemi , James Coburn , Jennifer Tilly

Runtime

92 minutes

3 'Booksmart' (2019)

Director: Olivia Wilde

Acting as an almost modern-day, Gen Z equivalent to what Superbad was for millennials, Booksmart has 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, so it 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, Booksmart feels like a true evolution and the next step for the subgenre, expanding upon the themes and dynamics that have made it effective for so long.

Booksmart

R

Comedy

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Release Date

May 24, 2019

Director

Olivia Wilde

Cast

Kaitlyn Dever , Elizabeth 'Beanie' Feldstein , Jessica Williams , Jason Sudeikis , Lisa Kudrow , Will Forte

Runtime

102 minutes

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 be Bottoms, 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 of Bottoms made it a smash hit among Letterboxd users well before it even came out, with the film being more popular on the site than major 2023 blockbusters like Wonka and The 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.

Bottoms

R

Comedy

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Release Date

August 25, 2023

Director

Emma Seligman

Cast

Nicholas Galitzine , Ayo Edebiri , Dagmara Dominczyk , Rachel Sennott

Runtime

92 minutes

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 titular , whose heartbreaking 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 & Louise is a powerful display of female friendship set perfectly in a road trip, on-the-run setting that 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.

R

Adventure

Crime

Drama

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Release Date

May 24, 1991

Director

Ridley Scott

Cast

Susan Sarandon , Geena Davis , Harvey Keitel , Michael Madsen , Christopher McDonald , Stephen Tobolowsky

Runtime

130 minutes

NEXT: The 10 Best 'Quirky Best Friends' in Movies, Ranked