Kevin M. Smith

Friend of the World is a 2020 American independent black-and-white film written and directed by Brian Patrick Butler in his feature film debut, starring Nick Young and Alexandra Slade. The surreal experimental film takes place post-apocalypse and tells the story of a young filmmaker (Slade) and a military general (Young) trapped in a bunker with a mysterious threat.

Written as a dark comedy body horror film in 2016, the film was produced by Charybdis Pictures. Nuclear anxiety, cynicism and the 2016 United States presidential election were inspirations for the story and Butler cited the works of Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre, John Carpenter, and David Cronenberg as influences.

Filming took place at Gray Area Multimedia and other parts of San Diego County in May, 2017. It premiered August 15, 2020 at the Oceanside International Film Festival and was released on video on demand in 2021. The film was distributed by Cineverse and Troma Entertainment.

Film critics compared it to Night of the Living Dead, Dr. Strangelove, The Lighthouse, and 10 Cloverfield Lane. It has a 91% approval rating from 23 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, ranking in their best horror and science fiction films of 2021 and their 100 Best Zombie Movies.