Where to Watch How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
- TonyFebruary 21, 2026This film attempts to translate the sharp, cynical wit of Toby Young’s memoir to the big screen, but it loses its edge in the process. While the source material was a biting critique of celebrity culture and New York media, the film settles for a collection of tired slapstick gags and a predictable romantic comedy formula. The primary issue is the characterization of the lead. Instead of a charmingly ambitious underdog, the protagonist often comes across as genuinely grating without the necessary charisma to keep the audience invested. By the time the story reaches its inevitable conclusion, the satire has been stripped away in favor of generic Hollywood tropes. Despite a capable supporting cast, the film ultimately fails to offer anything more than surface-level humor.
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How to Lose Friends & Alienate People was released on October 3, 2008.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People was directed by Robert B. Weide.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People has a runtime of 1h 50m.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People was produced by Robin O'Hara, Elizabeth Karlsen, Toby Young, Stephen Woolley.
Sidney Young is a down-on-his-luck journalist. Thanks to a stint involving a pig and a glitzy awards ceremony, Sidney turns his fortunes around, attracting the attention of Clayton Harding, editor of New York-based glossy magazine 'Sharps', and landing the holy grail of journalism jobs. The Brit jets off to the Big Apple and moves from one blunder to the next.
The key characters in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People are Sidney Young (Simon Pegg), Alison Olsen (Kirsten Dunst), Lawrence Maddox (Danny Huston).
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is rated R.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is a Comedy, Drama, Romance film.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People has an audience rating of 4.2 out of 10.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People had a budget of $28M.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People has made $17.3M at the box office.