A24
Comedies come in many different iterations, but few are as divisive in terms of audience engagement as those that emphasize cringe as their way of examining human interactions through a comical lens, even if the human experience tends to be embroiled in awkwardness and embarrassment from the moment we become sentient.
In writer-director Andrew DeYoung’s feature film debut Friendship, we follow Tim Robinson’s Craig, an unremarkable and downtrodden man who is essentially awkwardness personified to an extent only someone like Robinson can portray such a character, and DeYoung did indeed write the script specifically for Robinson.
Going through the motions of his unexceptional life, Craig struggles to remain connected with wife Tami (Kate Mara) after her recovery from cancer, and his relationship with his teenage son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer), also leaves a lot to be desired, with Craig becoming increasingly bitter as the jealousy he feels from witnessing the strengthened bond between his son and his wife continues to fester, underlining his growing estrangement from his family.
When meteorologist Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood, a platonic meet cute between the pair leaves Craig’s world shook by a man crush of seismic proportions, and as he starts spending time with Austin, he finally feels like he is bonding with someone who is not only the cool buddy he has always wanted, but also accepts him for who he is and still cares about him.
However, Craig’s social ineptitude is going nowhere, and before long, the friendship turns sour, leaving Craig stuck in a downward spiral of anger, obsession, and bitterness that threatens to bring Craig – and everyone around him – down to a new low.
What makes Friendship work better than it perhaps should is how the script takes the toe-curling comedy and interlaces it with menace in a narrative that is centered around conveying the difficulties of maintaining friendships in adulthood, and how our darker sides and unresolved issues are often our own greatest enemy.
Unapologetic about its humor and sincere about its themes, Friendship achieves something rather special as it examines the pitfalls of masculinity and the desolation of male loneliness, never wagging its finger at the audience, but instead allowing a polarizing performer like Robinson to showcase the more delicate nuances he is capable of summoning under his well-known veneer of cringe comedy.
Outside of the script being specifically written for Robinson and the actor understanding the brief to its full extent, the surrounding players all possessing funny bones but being able to harness them for the duration of the film also ensures the toe-curling moments of shame and embarrassment are left to teeter expertly at the edge of being unbearable without hurtling into unwatchable territory.
This is particularly evident with Rudd, who portrays Austin with a more restrained and mature version of his usual brand of comedy, expertly utilizing his chemistry with Robinson to create the perfect foil for Craig in this bromance gone horribly wrong.
Easily one of the best comedies of the year, Friendship showcases that even cringe comedy can address deeper themes in a meaningful way, and while Craig may be just about the most insufferable character you will see in any film this year, thanks to Robinson’s surprisingly nuanced and somehow very balanced performance, DeYoung’s debut is well worth becoming acquainted with.
Extras include commentary, deleted scenes, extended scene, and group Q & A.
Verdict: 8 out of 10.
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