Will & Harper review: "Will Ferrell's Netflix road-trip documentary is authentic and moving"
Sep. 18, 2024Not everyone has an A-list pal like Ferrell to help them through difficult times, but his compassionate approach is a welcome model.
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At the heart of this likeable, gently moving Netflix doc is a road trip taken by Will Ferrell and his longtime friend and collaborator, Harper Steele, a trans woman who transitioned later in life. Ferrell embraces his friend’s identity without hesitation, but like many would, he has some awkward questions. So, when Steele decides to undertake the kind of road trip that she’s taken throughout her life, albeit for the first time as Harper, Will (and the cameras) come along too.
The biggest strength of the movie (which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival) is the way that it opens up a dialogue between friends, and makes space for understanding, with Ferrell emerging as a sensitive, empathetic inquisitor.
Director Josh Greenbaum (Kristen Wiig comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, George Lazenby doc Becoming Bond) follows without intruding, or making the route feel too predetermined. It’s a template that you could well imagine working for other subjects in need of friendly, open dialogue.
By its very nature, it’s hard not to occasionally wonder about how far this ‘candid’ doc has been edited and orchestrated – not least in the moments where Ferrell decides to dig into the dress-up box, or at the very beginning of the film when he riffs (amusingly) on the format’s tropes. Meanwhile, a couple of brands are mentioned so frequently as to give the unwelcome whiff of product placement. But when raw emotions are on display, Will & Harper feels authentic – as do Will and Harper.
Will & Harper is in UK cinemas now and will be available on Netflix on September 27.
For what else to watch, here’s our guide to thebest Netflix moviesto watch right now.
I’m the Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the running of the mag, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I’ve worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.
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