Tim Robinson & Paul Rudd deliver plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in this relatable film right up A24’s alley.
It was only a matter of time before actor/comedian Tim Robinson was going to get his big break on film after the huge success of his Netflix sketch show, I Think You Should Leave. It’s a big moment for Tim, who not even a decade ago was a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live. And Tim’s moment comes at the right time, as the comedy genre in the theatrical space continues to shrink, where more comedies are premiering first on streamers without any sort of theatrical release. With the theatrical being a communal experience for many, comedies are best experienced with an audience full of strangers; everyone is there hoping to laugh out loud at the comedy they’re bearing witness to. And thankfully, Friendship does exactly that throughout its 100-minute runtime. Full of laugh-out-loud moments from start to finish, Friendship is the best comedy to get a theatrical release in some time, though there is a minuscule caveat to the overall film that hinges on your interpretation of humor.
Friendship takes us to a neighborhood in the state of Colorado where Craig (Tim Robinson) lives a quiet life with his wife (Kate Mara) and teenage son (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig is sort of a loner, where he doesn’t interact with many people outside his 9-to-5 job colleagues and family members. But that changes when he gets a new neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd). Initially, Craig and Austin hit it off and hangout often. But when things go south and Austin ends their friendship, their lives get flipped upside down with the severance of their relationship.
The best way to describe Friendship is that it feels like a feature length sketch from Tim Robinson’s Netflix show, I Think You Should Leave. Segments of it even could be sketches themselves, whether it’s in relation to a clothing line Craig always wears throughout the movie or a moment at Craig’s office that involves an interaction with a mayor running for re-election. How these moments play out through a full-length movie is where your mileage may vary. Some people have found Tim Robinson’s popular show on Netflix to be certainly uncomfortable, but also unfunny or too silly, and a couple of parts of that apply in Friendship: there are moments where this movie will make you feel uncomfortable, or you’ll think, “This scenario is just too silly.”
But that’s not all Friendship is about. Sure, I ultimately think people will find this movie to be pretty damn funny for the all the antics Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd get into here; and both of these guys have really great chemistry together that sticks the landing on just about every joke, mannerism, or scenario they get themselves into. But the movie also takes a deeper, relatable look at subjects like loneliness, therapy, relationships, and the title of the movie itself, friendship (of course). It’s a fascinating examination from a director (and writer) making his debut in Andrew DeYoung that gives us a scenario that likely someone we all know close to us is in as well but adds humor to a situation that is otherwise sad for most.
When A24 initially purchased the rights to this film last fall, I was a bit curious as to why, since this didn’t seem like something in their wheelhouse, given the pairing of Paul Rudd and especially Tim Robinson, and that it was a comedy as well. Sure, A24 has made and released comedies before, but nothing close to this concept. However, there is a deeper meaning to this movie, tackling the previously mentioned subjects, that everyone can appreciate and examine in their own lives. However, just don’t forget to laugh every now and then and make sure to check any mushrooms you pull out of the ground before consuming them.