With A Friend Like Harry (2000)

96% of critics liked it
(89 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(4,073 ratings)

Dominik Moll directs this black comedy about a family outing gone to hell. The film opens with Michel (Laurent Lucas) and Claire (Mathilde Seigner) on the edge of a nervous breakdown in a cramped hot car with three screaming children. At a roadside rest stop, Michel meets Harry (Sergi Lopez) who,… More Dominik Moll directs this black comedy about a family outing gone to hell. The film opens with Michel (Laurent Lucas) and Claire (Mathilde Seigner) on the edge of a nervous breakdown in a cramped hot car with three screaming children. At a roadside rest stop, Michel meets Harry (Sergi Lopez) who, after some encouragement, recalls that they went to high school together. Harry and his girlfriend Plum (Sophie Guillemin) weasel their way into Michel and Claire's life, and soon the two are following the haggard family to their tumbledown summer cottage. Though he seems friendly enough, Michel and Claire start to notice that something is not quite right with their newfound friend -- he recites from memory a poem Michel wrote 20 years ago, he suddenly buys them an expensive new Jeep when their old car dies, and he has a tendency to kill people who get on his nerves. This film was screened in competition at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 57 min.
Directed By: Dominik Moll, Dominik Mol
Written By: Dominik Moll, Gilles Marchand, Dominik Mol
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 20, 2001 Limited
On DVD: Oct 26, 2001
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
It's Lopez's understated charm in the role that ultimately makes this film as creepy as it is.
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
An artfully entertaining psychological thriller.
Ray Conlogue, Globe and Mail
A rocking good entertainment.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
It's nothing new, terribly recognizable, but, familiarity notwithstanding, it gets the job done.
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It's a dry, cool character study that's primarily an exercise in tonal control - neither very funny nor very scary, but unnerving in a slow-burn way.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
Unfortunately, the groove it settles into is a lot less interesting than the possibilities suggested earlier.
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
Add "who needs family?," and that's a good indication of how "Harry" dives into - but doesn't easily resolve - a strangely symbiotic muse relationship. Evil can be just as banal as everyday life, an idea explored with nasty wit and not brutish violence.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
A chance encounter (or is it) with an old forgettable classmate in a restroom leads to an unforgettable and unwelcome intrusion
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Apesar da boa atuação de López, o filme não foge das convenções do gênero, resultando em uma história previsível e, conseqüentemente, enfadonha.
Brent Simon, Entertainment Today
Like the best of Hitchcock, Harry captures the lyrical ambiguity of 'normal evil,' the actions we're all capable of committing in the name of a just quest.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
creeps under your skin and leaves you uncomfortable for hours. It could be the French answer to "Strangers on a Train" or "The Talented Mr. Ripley"...
Nathaniel Rogers, Film Experience
The true strength of this thriller is how the duet plays out. The true shock is how casually perverse the underlying message becomes.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...chalk this one up to the pretty good, lukewarm, maybe category of could-have-been-even-better thrillers.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Aaron N

A french thriller that takes a number of cues from Hitchcock. A man encounters another man and his family, claiming to be an old school friend of his. Hoping to rekindle the friendship, they share some time together. He seems like a nice man, but something lies beneath the surface.… More
A french thriller that takes a number of cues from Hitchcock. A man encounters another man and his family, claiming to be an old school friend of his. Hoping to rekindle the friendship, they share some time together. He seems like a nice man, but something lies beneath the surface. It's a good movie that builds its tension slowly.
Mark A

Fascinating study of a man whose obsession with a former schoolmate is disguised as an overabundant willingness to "help". We are never quite sure what fuels this dark psychosis, but we know things aren't right almost from the beginning. The tension quietly builds to a… More
Fascinating study of a man whose obsession with a former schoolmate is disguised as an overabundant willingness to "help". We are never quite sure what fuels this dark psychosis, but we know things aren't right almost from the beginning. The tension quietly builds to a violent climax and leaves the intended victim victorious. The action takes place mainly at the young couple's country chateau. The scenery is pretty, but somewhat nondescript. The script is subtle and drops clues but never fully reveals its destination until the very end. There is a sexual tension that hangs heavily over the story, but it is never blatant or explicitly brought out into the open. Just a general unease in Marcel (Laurent Lucas) and Claire (Mathilde Segnier) triggered by the presence of Harry (Sergi Lopez) and his earthy girlfriend, Prune (translated as Plum, and played by Sophie Guillemin). Well done effort by director Dominik Moll and one that kept this viewer intrigued for nearly two hours.
Doctor S

Slow moving, low-key, low return French thriller (of sorts) follows rich playboy Harry's peculiar obsession with the long-dormant writing talents of a former schoolmate as he infiltrates his current family life. While I was modestly intrigued about where the paths would lead,… More
Slow moving, low-key, low return French thriller (of sorts) follows rich playboy Harry's peculiar obsession with the long-dormant writing talents of a former schoolmate as he infiltrates his current family life. While I was modestly intrigued about where the paths would lead, the final half hour finds the characters reacting implausibly and the payoff is minimal, which is ironically suitable for this minimalist approach, and therefore the resulting disappointment precludes a recommendation. I have no doubt the dubbed version I saw was a hindrance as the voice acting, particularly for Harry's schoolmate, was hollow, but on the other hand I can't see any instances where there should've been fireworks.
Jim W

With A Friend Like Harry is about a family man named Michael who bumps into a man named Harry who claims he knew him in High School . Michael and his family are on their way to their summer cottage and Michael invites Harry to stay. Michael doesn't remember Harry but Harry… More
With A Friend Like Harry is about a family man named Michael who bumps into a man named Harry who claims he knew him in High School . Michael and his family are on their way to their summer cottage and Michael invites Harry to stay. Michael doesn't remember Harry but Harry remembers enough about Michael make him think that he just has a bad memory. Harry also can repeat word for word stories that Michael wrote in High School. He takes them very seriously and thinks Michael should finish a story that he started. However, Harry is nuts and wants to eliminate any stress in his life so he can focus on writing again. It starts out simple when he buys Michael a new truck since the family car has no air and breaks down. Michael doesn't like that since he likes to solve his own problems. While Harry also starts to think he needs to eliminate any person that is in Michael's way of being a writer, in Harry's opinion anyway. The movie was a good idea for a thriller but it can be silly and a bit slow. Sergi Lopez is very creepy though as Harry even the stories he's obsessed with are pretty goofy. I mean, he's obsessed with Michael finishing a sci-fi story about flying monkeys. We also get a strange dream sequence where Michael is even dreaming about a flying monkey. While the end is just simple with no big confrontation like an American film probably would have had. It's refreshing but anti-climatic, it still worked though I think since it didn't really need a big confrontation. The violence is kind of done in a dark comedy sort of way that I haven't seen since a Psycho film and I liked that about the movie .
alan j

Smartly done French thriller, well acted with an intriguing yet simple plot. This movie will make you think the deeper you become involved watching it, but has a rewarding pay-off. Definitely a creepy, sinister, pychological experience!