“Friendship” is an interesting comedy film because, despite its insane moments, it’s about something incredibly relatable: it’s hard to make friends as an adult. And adult male friendships are especially difficult to nurture. Something that makes writer/director Andrew DeYoung’s movie work so well is that seed of reality buried in the heart of its otherwise bonkers events. It also helps that star Tim Robinson, in full “I Think You Should Leave” mode, is a dynamic performer who commits fully to the reality of the story and his (intensely) flawed character. And, of course, that it’s hilarious. A comedy with honesty and good performances is nice and all, but if it’s not funny…then it’s just dismal. Luckily, “Friendship” is one of the funniest films in recent years with unexpected tangents perfectly interwoven with harsh moments of cringe comedy that produces something unique and great.
Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) has a pretty good life. His wife, Tami (Kate Mara), has been cancer free for a year. He has a good (if horribly mundane and mildly evil) job making apps more addictive to users. His teenage son (Jack Dylan Grazer) loves Tami and seems to fairly tolerate him. There’s a new Marvel out that’s supposed to be crazy. Things seem good. But he doesn’t really have any friends or social life. Until he meets his new neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd), the local weatherman with all sorts of interesting hobbies. Craig falls hard (platonically) for Austin, but unfortunately, things get weird, and Austin wants some distance. While Craig tries to figure out how to win Austin bac, events quickly spiral out of control that will fundamentally alter Craig’s life.
One of the most impressive elements of “Friendship” is how it makes the audience empathize with Craig. Make no mistake—Craig is a narcissist, volatile, imbalanced person who constantly makes everything worse by making it about him and his bizarre perspective on the world. And yet, through Robinson’s performance, and DeYoung’s direction and script, viewers truly care for and about this constant explosion of a man. Nothing is excused and none of his actions ever feel warranted, but you can understand why he’s reacting that way and sympathize for his extreme emotions. It’s a difficult tightrope act to pull off, yet “Friendship” does it with aplomb.
Even though DeYoung has nothing to do with the series, it’s hard not to think of Tim Robinson’s show (“I Think You Should Leave”) while watching “Friendship.” So much of the comedy is a similar vibe—poor reactions in commonly awkward social situations that rapidly escalate in unforeseen ways due to volatility and absurd thought processes. If you don’t like that show, chances are that you will not enjoy “Friendship.” But if you do like it, then this will feel like an extended episode. Or, more accurately, it feels like a couple of characters escaped from “I Think You Should Leave” and entered our reality and are now interacting with people in our world to hilarious and disastrous results. Rudd and Mara are perfect foils for Robinson, never completely removed from the insanity (with their own odd quirks and ways), but still far more grounded than the constantly-about-to-explode Craig. It can be a thankless task to be a straight man to the blustery comedian, but the script ensures that everyone around Robinson finds ways to inject a bit of their own personality and weirdness to make them feel human and also entertaining in their own right.
Shot by DP Andy Rydzewski more like an indie dramedy, edited by Sophie Corra to occasionally feel like a thriller, and scored by Keegan DeWitt to be a darling indie drama, the aesthetics of “Friendship” also set it apart from the usual bland imagery and sounds of most modern comedies. DeYoung does a great job of melding all these genre influences into service of the comedic elements of “Friendship,” which gives it a real identity that aids in keeping audiences on their toes. Are you supposed to be laughing here? Should you be worried for others? Why is that happening? It’s a clever subversion of stylistic expectations that helps ratchet up the tension and comedic possibilities as the narrative goes in all sorts of unexpected, but delightful, directions.
“Friendship” manages to be about something, have a real aesthetic profile, and be hilarious at the same time. Writer/director DeYoung has crafted an ode to the awkwardness of life and adulthood, but done so in such a heightened way that never feels maudlin. Heck, most people may not even notice it. Fueled by a great script and excellent performances, “Friendship” is a delightful discovery that will leave audiences incredulously laughing as Craig’s behavior spirals in unexpected (and yet believable) ways.
4 / 5 Stars
Directed by: Andrew DeYoung
Starring: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer
