Will & Harper Review: Will Ferrell and Harper Steele Hit the Road in Authentic, Sincere Transgender Documentary for Netflix

   September 29, 2024
will & harper 2024 movie
Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in Will & Harper (2024), streaming on Netflix

Will & Harper feels wholesome and welcoming about a topic that usually becomes all too political and nasty in our current climate. Transgender people often get objectified as a way to rile up an ideology one way or another, and we rarely get to see such an insightful look at the way we process change, especially change that is as big as transitioning from one gender or another.

That’s what is happening for Harper Steele, the well-regarded former head writer of Saturday Night Live that worked for the show when it dominated culture and produced stars like Kristen Wiig, Will Forte, and Steele’s titular co-star for Will & Harper: Wil Ferrell. Steele and Ferrell are established as extremely close from the beginning as Ferrell credits much of his success to the insistence from Steele that there was talent within him, despite the lows the struggling comedian faced during the early moments in his career.

But sine then, a lot has changed. The two of them have gone on a very different path in the years since they left SNL. For Harper, that means a personal decision that has forced her to re-examine relationships and beliefs that once defined her. Harper Steele once went by Andrew – that is before she began transitioning from a man to a woman, a transition that is detailed in great depth (and with poignant humor) by both Steele and Ferrell over the course of a cross country road trip that serves as the framing device for the documentary.

Will & Harper serves as a rekindling for the two close friends who haven’t seen one another in quite some time. Will Ferrell offers to travel across the United States with Harper, allowing her to return to the middle America terrain that show grew up in. But unfortunately, middle America isn’t known for being warm towards the transgender community. What transpires in Will & Harper is a bit of a sad reality for the country, rolled into a hopeful message that pleas for the citizens in this country to be compassionate and understanding towards one another.

I found the moments concerning Will Ferrell’s popularity the most insightful section of the documentary. His presence serves as a wedge into transgender identity for many of the folks they meet along their journey. Harper doesn’t always find herself in bars and other public spaces that are the most welcoming for her, but Ferrell’s fame serves as a buffer for the sort of heckling you’d expect her to receive. Instead, the tension in these rooms quickly dissipates, and you can feel the real change these two people are making as they continue their travels.

It’s not a perfect documentary, but its intentions are spot on. Will & Harper is often sweet and important, making the case for comradery in a time that feels immensely tense and frustrating, especially given an important election on the horizon. It also has the usual Will Ferrell quips, which do enough to ease you into the story and keep you entertained, which makes this one of the more enjoyable, necessary documentaries of 2024.

Score: 6/10

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