THAT FRIEND
Logline
When Paul crashes his best friend Henry's romantic weekend in Palm Springs with his new girlfriend Penny, what starts as an innocent visit spirals into mayhem after Paul's drug-laced cigarettes disappear into a stranger's hands.
Synopsis
That Friend is an indie bromance comedy about Paul (Harvey Guillén) — you know, that friend whose invitation for “one drink” seems harmless but inevitably leads to chaotic consequences.
When Paul crashes his best friend Henry's (Josh Brener) romantic weekend in Palm Springs with his new girlfriend Penny (Billie Lourd), what starts as an innocent visit spirals into mayhem after Paul's drug-laced cigarettes disappear into a stranger's hands.
Written and directed by the filmmaking duo Alex Wall and Will Sterling in their feature debut, this film explores the hilarious and complex dynamics of friendship, loyalty, and the chaos we create for the people we love most.
Directors' Statement
At its core, That Friend is about the person in your life who always makes things messier, louder, and more complicated than you wanted, but who you just can’t seem to let go of. We’ve both had those people. In fact, at some point, we’ve both been those people.
Comedy is often rooted in chaos, but what drew us to this story was the tension beneath the laughs: what do you do when a lifelong friendship that once felt indestructible starts to feel toxic? When it starts getting in the way of the life you want for yourself? How do you separate love from obligation, nostalgia from reality? Those questions gave us a way to explore friendship, love, codependency, and emotional growth, while still letting things spiral into the kind of absurd, drug fueled, wild night level of fun that this story lives in.
We wanted the film to feel like a night out with that friend, unpredictable, hilarious, exhausting, and ultimately revealing of a truth that is almost impossible to acknowledge. The goal wasn’t just to capture the hijinks, but to sit in the morning after, the hangover where you wonder if maybe it’s time to change.
Making this film together as longtime friends ourselves, we channeled our own histories into the DNA of these characters. That Friend is loud and chaotic on the surface, but at its core is a love letter to complicated friendships, the kind that shape us, frustrate us, and, in the end, teach us who we really are.
Filmmakers
Alex Wall
That Friend is the debut feature from Alex Wall (writer/director). His prior collaborations with Will Sterling have placed and been featured in The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, Newport Beach Film Festival, Paris International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Blue Cat Screenwriting and more. Wall edits and produces unscripted television for HBO, MAX, NBC, A&E and Netflix.
Will Sterling
“That Friend” is the second feature from writer, director, actor, producer Will Sterling, whose work blends sharp comedy with strong emotional undercurrents and genre driven storytelling. His meta-comedy “A Cell Phone Movie” was nominated for Best Debut Feature at the Raindance Film Festival in 2025, and his debut novel “Fame by Misadventure” won Best Fiction in the 2024 National Indie Excellence Awards.
Ryan Tillotson
Ryan Tillotson is the founder and CEO of acclaimed podcast house Straw Hut Media that partners with Hulu, Netflix, Universal, Rotten Tomatoes, among several other companies.
Michael Amico
Michael Amico is a Prague-based photographer and cinematographer. With a background in documentary, he focuses on people, observing how individuals behave within different environments and often looking for moments of contrast within a scene. He approaches cinematography with a photographer’s mindset—using framing, blocking, and natural light to support performance and reveal character. “That Friend” is his debut narrative feature film.
Josh Land
Josh Land is an editor & assistant editor whose work spans studio films, independent features, documentaries, and television. His recent credits include Only, Courage Rising, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Sandiwara, the upcoming short film from Sean Baker.
Dillon Baldassero
Dillon Baldassero is a Los Angeles–based composer, producer, and artist from Toronto. His recent work includes the SXSW-premiering Deepfaking Sam Altman, The Fallers (Georgina Campbell), and music supervision on A24’s The Undertone. He scored the Amazon/Hulu series Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, earning a Canadian Screen Award nomination, and has contributed music to the upcoming feature Ballistic (Lena Headey). He is currently scoring Hartbeat’s Livestream from Hell, starring Kevin Hart and Druski.
Known for a character and story-driven approach, his work builds on an orchestral foundation, merging it with electronic and avant-pop influences. He also releases music under the moniker Leah’s bf, including his debut EP Pareidolia. He is represented by Hailey Flame at First Artists Management.
Kristi Lugo
Kristi Lugo is a Los Angeles–based casting director whose recent credits include I Play Rocky, directed by Academy Award–winner Peter Farrelly, and DC’s Blue Beetle. She consults for Fangoria Studios and is currently casting The Big Five produced by Coco Francini and Allison Friedman. Past credits include That Friend (Billie Lourd, Harvey Guillén), Sisters of Scott County (Kaitlyn Dever), Mid-Century (Lionsgate), and The Edge of Sleep produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones.
Cast
Harvey Guillén
Emmy-nominated for his beloved role as Guillermo in “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Billie Lourd
Star of “American Horror Story,” “Scream Queens,” and “Booksmart.”
Josh Brener
Known for “Silicon Valley” and “The Internship.”
Retta
Known for “Parks and Recreation” and “Good Girls.”
Neil Brown Jr.
Known for “SEAL Team” and “Straight Outta Compton.”
Miles Gutierrez-Riley
Known for “The Wilds” and “Gaslit.”
Lauren Lapkus
Known for “Orange Is the New Black,” “The Wrong Missy,” and “Good Girls.”
Mary Holland
Known for “Happiest Season,” “Booksmart,” and “The Afterparty.”
Rose Abdoo
Known for “Gilmore Girls,” “Reno 911!,” and “People of Earth.”
Alok Vaid-Menon
Acclaimed author, poet, and performer known for their comedy specials and bestselling books.
Paul Guzman
Actor and comedian known for his versatile performances.
Will Sterling
Co-writer and co-director of “That Friend,” also appearing as Pastor Kevin.
Full Credits
Cast
Crew
Post Production
Sound — MelodyGun Studios
Musicians
Catering
Music
Tech Specs
Filmed on Location
Equipment Provided by
Lightstone Rentals • Bright Orange Productions • Straw Hut Media • Lars Lindstrom • Bokeh Rentals • The Fun Ton Grip and Lighting • Lance Brown
Thank You
Michael McDonald • Kacey Short • Tara Roy • Maggie Boles • Mother Earth Brewing • Pizza Port Brewing • Carver Diserens • Sonja O'Hara • Jeff Deverett • Jay Kogen • Caroline Mendoza • Ana Clara • Ali Ahmed • Danielle Carr • Madison Cross • Alan Peterson • Nikki Groton • Paul Coleman • Rachel Paulson • Kayleen Casey • Michaelangelo Macias • Carrie Frazier • Jessica Thompson • Connor Simpson • Katrina Bitner • Benjamin Nichols • Christine Armstrong • Stephen Markley • Anand Ramprasad • Ian Robertson • David Pergolini • Nicholas Ybarra • Jase Allen • Katie McCuen • Dave Burg • Dean Liao • Keayva Mitchell • Christian Bladt • Xavier Montesinos • Alexandra Montesinos • Kristi Avila • Rajeev Dassani • California State University at Long Beach • The Writers of Fantasy Football League • Adam Moore • Martin Wright • Ryan Beardsley • Mark Hanna • Emmett Russell • James Lostlen • George Zakkour • Jennifer Jakob Scelzi • David Holechek • Daniel Holechek • Ben Cox • Alexander Jeffrey • Greg Hollander • Bo Youngblood
Press
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Contact
A Bolo Production in association with Straw Hut Media
Ryan Tillotson, Producer