The neon colors are not here to distract, rather they point to the dreamlike quality of this film that tries to address, without being moralizing, issues related to consent. A surprise party turns out to be the trigger to explore the dynamic between victim and abuser.
A dream, a real experience and accounts of Zachary Zezima’s friends were written and re-written, fictionalised and adjusted, until the overwhelming narrative that is Friend of a Friend was achieved. A young adult experiences abuse induced by someone close to him, triggering a succession of reactions, upheavals and confusions. With a rhythm that is sometimes sweet and sometimes dizzying as well as in vibrant colours and imprecise – apparently uncertain – strokes that Friend of a Friend elaborates on emotional ties, and consensus. (Ana David)