Inspired by the threat of nuclear war and current political events, Butler also cited the works of Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre, John Carpenter, and David Cronenberg as influences.

After attempting to escape the structure, she eventually passes out at the bottom of an elevator shaft where she is rescued by a mysterious man who calls himself General Gore (Nick Young).

Butler said the film is a "universal story about conceptions of good, evil, corruption and the twisted passing of the generational torch from a fractured, wisened psyche to a self-righteous, still-developing one.

[6] The character of Diane was originally written as a young man, but scheduling conflicts and delays led to rewrites and ultimately Alexandra Slade was cast in the role.

[3] The majority of filming took place at Gray Area Multimedia, an underground studio which doubled as a bunker,[7] a key location Butler had intended to use for the production.

[3] Upon completing the film, Butler said: It is roughly an hour-long dark comedy sci-fi with a Twilight Zone feel and elements of body horror, absurd humor and satire.

"[10] Celia Payne of Let's Talk Terror said "a surprisingly gleeful string arrangement accompanies scenes where humans-turned-monstrosities melt into themselves, shape-shift, and eat rats, bringing the audience into their world of insanity.

[10][21] Lisa Marie Bowman at Through the Shattered Lens said it comes with "a hint of Kubrickian satire" with scenes reminiscent of Alien, concluding that surviving the end of the world does not mean you'll have a choice on who remains with you.

[22] Joseph Perry at Horror Fuel mentioned it's like The Twilight Zone if Rod Serling and Charles Beaumont ate psychedelic material, or if ideas from Dr. Strangelove, Night of the Living Dead and Apocalypse Now were merged.

[17] Milana Vujkov at Lola on Film claims it has "a terrifyingly delightful string of corruptive catalysts, explosive apparitions of post-humanity, taken straight out of Burroughs" and that the "unsustainability of the human condition in a genetically modified apocalypse is a mix of home movie and Brechtian theatre play.

"[27] Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews said that the fifty minute film is split up into chapters which allows for viewers to ponder at the nonlinear narrative.

[3] Butler said:In this day and age I think it would fit nicely within a streaming service – whether self-contained, part of an anthology series, or expanded into multiple episodes of a larger story.

Karla Peterson at The San Diego Union Tribune said that Butler did not anticipate his feature-film debut to happen virtually during an actual pandemic, although "the surreal environment is a perfect match for an unsettling film where the source of chaos might just be a contagion."

"[16] Rebecca Cherry at Film Carnage said it makes a good attempt to identify "a more character driven apocalyptic story pulling elements from a modern America.

"[29] Jim Morazzini of Voices From The Balcony claimed the characters as being "archetypes at opposite ends of American society" and compared the uncertain reality of the film to "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge like flight of a mind approaching death.

[34] In an interview with Times of San Diego, Butler stated that Friend of the World's style was inspired by the works of Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre, John Carpenter and David Cronenberg.

Ally Ham at Video Librarian scored it 4.5 out of 5, stating that "Friend of the World is an evocative indie gem serving a little bit of science fiction, some dark comedy, and a healthy dose of body horror.

"[12] Jeremie Sabourin at Cinema Smack gave it 3.5 out of 5 and felt the tone matched Night of the Living Dead as if done by Terry Gilliam claiming that "its nightmarish and claustrophobic setting will have viewers on edge.

"[16] Corin Totin of Sick Flix rated the film 4.5 out of 5, comparing it to Tetsuo: The Iron Man, declaring "this is a piece of art that is very much of this moment and really taps into the surreal horror that we are experiencing in the world at large right now.

"[55] Mark H. Harris of Black Horror Movies said "the articulate script is dialogue-heavy with a philosophical bent" and it "presents some thoughtful takes on identity, individualism and reconciling divergent worldviews.

"[33] Kristy Strouse at Wonderfully Weird & Horrifying said that even though the film "sometimes meanders, the captivating performances, gnarly practical effects, and intelligent direction make the most of its limited screen time.

"[56] Corey Bulloch of UK Film Review claims it has "world-building that leaves more confusion than intrigue" and "constant ambiguity that it's hard for the audience to maintain invested interest.

"[58] Lindsey Ungerman at Horror Buzz said it had "Tarantino vibes", was "attention-grabbing and engaging but loses steam quickly due to story ambiguity and spasmodic dialogue."