Find Your Friends is a story about friendship, selfishness, and the lengths one would go to protect themselves. Amber (Helena Howard) and her friends party nonstop, and they plan a weekend away in the desert to go as hard as they can. An incident on a party boat the day before their trip leaves Amber feeling abandoned and lost, as well as angry. But they continue to their Airbnb, where the booze and coke are plentiful, and chase guys at a desert rave.
The group of friends isn’t immediately likable in a way that feels realistic and plausible. They bask in their privilege and acknowledge it; they are happy to act like their neighbors don’t matter as much as they do. They are self-centered and rude, even to each other. But there are touching scenes of friendship that balance out the disrespect. They have a ritual in which they chant “lovin’ on you” and lift each other up with specifically tailored compliments. While there is tension from old, lingering fights, they seem to care about each other. They would benefit from an honest, sober conversation, but that’s not part of their weekend plans. They say they want to be there for each other, but when the chips are down, they ditch each other if it’s more convenient.
Music is such an integral part of this film; the director said she wanted it to be its own character, and it is. Uncomfortably loud EDM blankets most scenes, almost to the point of smothering them. As the girls’ nights bounce back and forth from fun to dangerous, the music bounces between being a fun mood-setter and a nightmare sensory overload you want to turn off. As horrible things play out on screen, the party music continues, making everything feel much more urgent. The desert is a perfect setting for this story to unfold. It’s enormous, but there is nowhere to hide. The sun and the heat during the day make everything seem too difficult to face, and the darkness with no light pollution at night feels incredibly isolating.
Find Your Friends is challenging, in a refreshing way. What plays out on screen is both hard to watch yet impossible to look away from, and catharsis is part of the experience. Unlikable people still don’t deserve what happens to the women in this film, and the audience’s allegiance will be pushed. It’s a story we need in 2025 about examining friendships and keeping yourself safe.
Find Your Friends had its US premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025 on 19 September
