by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
Dinner with Friends brings viewers inside a fractured group of eight longtime friends who intermittently come together for dinner parties to share in the joys and pains of being adults today.
At the center of the story are a married couple, Joy and Malachi, who reluctantly consider whether it’s worth the effort to reunite their long-fractured friend group. Begrudgingly, they admit the truth: despite everything, these friendships still bring joy into their lives. And so, with a few taps on the group chat, the reunion is set in motion.
At first, the meet-up is warm and celebratory, reminiscent of simpler times. But beneath the surface simmers unresolved tensions. Soon, betrayals emerge, jealousy surfaces, and tempers flare, threatening to unravel the fragile ties that bind them.
Dinner With Friends marks the debut feature film from writer, producer, and director Sasha Leigh Henry, a Sundance alum of the short Black Bodies, five-time TIFF alum, and the creator/showrunner of the acclaimed series Bria Mack Gets a Life. With this new venture, Henry delivers a layered, emotionally resonant portrait of friendship, change, and the passage of time.
Dinner With Friends stars Michael Ayres, Alex Spencer, Tymika Tafari, Izaak Smith, Tattiawna Jones, Leighton Alexander Williams, Rakhee Morzaria, and Andrew Bushell as the titular “friends.” Henry draws cinematic inspiration from The Big Chill, using a similar structure to explore the nuances of friendship over time. The film follows eight longtime friends who gather periodically for dinner parties, each assembly acting as a self-contained vignette. These gatherings often end with a surprise announcement, inevitably leading to hurt feelings, quiet resentments, or difficult truths. Sometimes things are resolved. Sometimes, they’re just postponed.
Stylistically, Henry uses visual cues, a calendar scroll, or a string of text messages to mark the passage of time between each segment. These devices act as cinematic clapboards, dividing the story into chapters that feel episodic in nature. It’s a format that mirrors her experience in television and showcases her skill in breaking down complex, emotional material into digestible, compelling bites. Each segment could easily stand as an episode in a drama series, laying the groundwork for Dinner With Friends to evolve into something bigger, perhaps even the spiritual successor to This Is Us, with its emotional depth and generational weight.
But make no mistake, Dinner With Friends doesn’t shy away from the messiness of real life. Bringing together eight distinct millennial voices under one roof guarantees drama, and Henry embraces it. The film fearlessly explores everything from parenthood and broken promises to the struggle of living in the city and caring for aging parents. No topic is off-limits, and nothing is left unsaid.
Told across three years, Dinner With Friends is a deeply emotional and complex exploration of how life tests our relationships and how, despite the strain, some bonds endure. It’s a reminder of the healing power of time, good wine, and friends who, no matter what, keep showing up.
Grade: B
