There is always something daunting about writing or directing one’s first feature, but Delaney Buffett decided to write, direct, and star in her feature debut. Adult Best Friends stems from her real life and also stars her real-life best friend, Katie Corwin (Billionaire Boys Club). Considering the film focuses on their relationship and journey, it succeeds in capturing the authenticity of the dynamic by having them simply play themselves. While the efforts pay off in dividends, it makes for an incredibly awkward, hilarious, and fulfilling story that makes the audience re-examine some of those lifelong friendships they have and the ones that have fallen off.
L-R: Katie Corwin as Katie and Delaney Buffett as Delaney in ADULT BEST FRIENDS. Photo Credit: Jessica Pantoja. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
The film focuses on best friends Delaney (Delaney Buffett) and Katie (Katie Corwin) who’ve been friends practically their entire lives. However, as they grew older, they also slightly grew apart. They became different people who were interested in different things and wanted to live different lives. Delaney has consistently been the party type of person who’s still living with roommates and doesn’t seem to have it together while Katie is living with her boyfriend who Delaney isn’t overly enthused by but tolerates in micro doses, essentially. However, everything changes when John (Mason Gooding) decides to take things to the next level with Katie and propose. Unsure how to break the news to Delaney, Katie suggests a trip back to their childhood beach town which truly kicks off the insane chaos that makes Adult Best Friends a comedy for the ages that is almost too deeply seeded in factual realities.
L-R: Delaney Buffett as Delaney and Katie Corwin as Katie in ADULT BEST FRIENDS. Photo Credit: Jessica Pantoja. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
Without giving away too much about the plot and the chaos that ensues throughout Adult Best Friends, trying to hide a wedding proposal from your best friend is certainly a recipe for disaster, and disguising a weekend getaway to break the news that you can’t break is one hell of a way to do it. While John tries to keep it to himself that he finally popped the question, Katie has to ensure that no one is publicly congratulating her or acknowledging the engagement before she tells Delaney. However, with the differences of lifestyles and tensions brewing, this weekend getaway becomes a test of friendship and how far we will go to continue to save our friendships while also living our lives to the fullest. The getaway is absolutely abysmal from the get go, and their boundaries are pushed to the fullest when they arrive at their rental and the owner of the house is certainly the definition of a character. Adult Best Friends certainly makes the audience understand that sometimes we have to do what is right for us, and if our friends of 30 near years cannot support that, maybe we need to re-examine a few things or make them understand our happiness.
Before diving into the true stars of Adult Best Friends, I want to take a moment to highlight the supporting cast who rounds out this incredible ensemble. Specifically, those of Mason Gooding (Booksmart; Scream VI), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek; He Went That Way) who plays Henry, Cazzie David who plays Roxy (I Love you Forever), and everyone else in the supporting cast. They all bring a new level of chaos and intrigue to the overall plot and chaos that unfolds throughout the movie. However, Delaney Buffett and Katie Corwin are who truly steal the entire show, two polar opposites now in their 30s trying to remain friends despite having entirely different personalities and lifestyles now. Their ability to riff off each other, and the fact that they’re real-life best friends leaves nothing off topic or out of bounds, truly allowing them, as their characters, to unleash hell on one another and create absolute delectable chaos for the audience to dine on.
L-R: Heather Mazur as Daria, Zachary Quinto as Henry, and Katie Corwin as Katie in ADULT BEST FRIENDS. Photo Credit: Jessica Pantoja. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
Adult Best Friends makes the audience re-examine the friendships they’ve lost or the ones that are on the brink of ending because of growing up and growing apart. Sometimes we just have to have the difficult conversations with each other and try to make the best out of the situation, but making a film with people who are best friends in real life and exploring the chaos that comes with the territory makes for a truly hilarious outing. Delaney Buffett and Katie Corwin are forces to be reckoned with and voices to look out for in the future.
Screening during Tribeca Film Festival 2024.
For more information, head to the official Tribeca 2024 Adult Best Friends webpage.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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