Fwends

After not seeing each other in years, Em (Emmanuelle Mattana) travels to Melbourne to reunite with Jessie (Melissa Gan) for the weekend in Sophie Somerville’s Fwends. Shot on a minuscule budget using free filming permits and completely improvised, Somerville authentically captures two friends navigating their 20s as they walk through the Victorian capital.

Mattana and Gan are spectacular together. From the moment they awkwardly greet each other and begin their hunt to find a coffee shop, their chemistry is incredible. Since their last meeting, Em is now a junior lawyer in Sydney, while Jessie is more of a free-spirited individual who works a part-time job and plays video games in her spare time. This stark contrast enables their personalities to bounce off each other as their conversation moves from light-hearted banter to heated bickering and instances of genuine vulnerability. Their improvised exchanges are a large part of what makes their friendship feel natural. Not only does it allow each scene to feel grounded, but it often gives rise to plenty of humorous moments.

With much of the film being the pair strolling through the city, it takes some time for the feature to find its footing. When the two do begin to open up about their lives, Fwends expands into an existential exploration of people trying to find their way in life. Despite wanting to be a lawyer since she was a child, for example, workplace harassment and gruelling hours are causing Em to feel burnt out, while a recent breakup has left Jessie feeling alone and directionless. With further worries about climate change and rising house prices, Somerville succinctly captures the anxieties of a generation.

Following an impromptu, drug-fuelled night out, the latter half is where this movie gets more creative. There’s a French narrator, sequences are shot with different filters, and Em and Jessie’s antics become zanier. This is where the dialogue and performances are at their best. It’s a shame that this flair isn’t present in more of the runtime.

Carried entirely by Mattana and Gan’s stellar performances, Fwends’ exploration of friendship is one that’s bursting with heart.

Andrew Murray

Fwends does not have a release date yet.

Read more reviews from our London Film Festival coverage here.

For further information about the event, visit the London Film Festival website here.

Watch the trailer for Fwends here: