Friendship

On the one hand, it's got moments of genuine hilarity and ingenuity. Rare these days in movie theaters - it seems only stand-up has any guts and originality. I laughed hard in places and so did the first-weekend LA crowd. On the other hand, the story is without much momentum and lacks a sense of inevitability. Feels random and without clear purpose/meaning. As though the whole thing were a series of sketches strung together with no driving thematic goal. Another way of putting it is that it does not get more interesting as it goes. But the acting and casting is superb. Very well directed. Bravo!

I imagine some people have a lot of trouble explaining Tim Robinson. I think I can. He is the new champion of anti-comedy. Anti-comedy is almost a performance art unto itself and would suggest a uniquely higher level of understanding of what is funny and what is not, and then taking what is not funny and making it funny. It feels almost accidental, but it isn't. The original master was Andy Kaufman, and since his untimely death in 1984, he's had many unsuccessful imitators. We very nearly had a second-coming in Tom Green, until he took things completely over the line with Freddy Got Fingered, a film that strived to be a surrealist masterpiece and ended up being the Pink Flamingos of the 21st century. But now, in 2025, we have Tim Robinson and I think he's just about mastered this difficult technique. Perhaps by sheer virtue of the fact that he looks supremely uncomfortable at all times. He's the human embodiment of a caged rat being poked incessantly with a stick. There's a level of fear and confusion, mixed with a hair-triggered rage that could ignite at any moment. He looks and behaves like the most maladjusted human on earth. Then you take that person and make him a full-fledged comedian. Perhaps this is part of his comedic routine, but whatever it is, he's got that Kaufman "It" factor that's needed.

Enter, Friendship. If ever you needed to know what a Tim Robinson movie would be like, this is what it is. Some would say it's a 90-minute I Think You Should Leave skit, and you'd very much be right. This is a dark comedy about why grown men shouldn't have bromances. That said, it's 97 minutes of exactly how far Tim Robinson can take that premise. The sky isn't even the limit here. Robinson explores obsession and insecurity through the eyes of a man who has zero control over his impulsive thoughts. The rest of the cast looks on in terror, especially Paul Rudd, who approaches the role similarly to how he did in I Love You, Man. But a classic Judd Apatow-universe comedy this isn't. This is Tim Robinson's unhinged world and we are all held hostage.

I haven't laughed this hard in a movie theater in a decade. Studio comedies are dead. Comedy movies, in general, have dried up worse than the Mojave Desert. A24, I can attest, might be about to change that, and they have the right man to do it. If we could get a Tim Robinson comedy movie once a year, I'd be very happy.

This indie comedy from A24 can sometimes feel a bit uneven, but its deadpan and blunt humor that also provides more thoughtful and subtextual commentary on male friendships under the surface makes it engaging and worth watching. The film focuses on Craig (Tim Robinson,) a marketing executive and father who befriends his neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd,) who is a weatherman.

Like many "slice of life" independent films, "Friendship" doesn't have a clear and thorough plot as its narrative backbone. Yet the writing is sharp and clever enough, and the two leads interesting enough that things still mostly work pretty well. The humor is able to balance more straightforward comedy with more dark and offbeat humor pretty well, particularly by showing that Craig's desire for connection is well-intentioned, but also risky. At 97 minutes, the film is pretty well-paced and never feels too long or too short. It does a good job at keeping the viewer engaged throughout. While the character development of Craig and Austin is not exceptional or truly unique, it is thorough and well-written enough to keep the viewer interested and justify the film progressing in the ways that it does. The film's humor isn't always consistently funny, but when it works (particularly in the first 45 minutes,) it really works. What holds the film back from being truly great is the lack of a directly emotional payoff and narrative stakes. In particular, there could have been a more compelling conclusion. That said, this is still a worthwhile dark comedy. Recommended. 7.5/10.

Rating - 9.2: Overall, an "I Think You Should Leave" sketch, if it were 97 minutes long and shot by an auteur; this movie uses such a simple idea, like a friends breaking up, but dramatizes it so heavily and shoots it like a P. T. Anderson movie that it becomes the perfect parody; all brought together by Tim Robinson's cringe comedic style.

Direction - Great: The direction on a macroscale feels very auteur-driven, as the movie feels like it was shot by P. T. Anderson, but in a parody style; The direction on a microscale feels like an "I Think You Should Leave" sketch for 97 minutes, and it's executed to perfection; the storytelling uses templates you would see from a hardcore thriller like *Uncut Gems* or *Prisoners*, but is just parody because of what the movie is actually about; they build tension incredibly well, because the movie just comes off as satire because of how seriously they make the stakes

Story - Great: The concept is so simple because it is just friends breaking up, but because they make it seem more dramatic than it actually is, the movie just becomes even more funny; the plot structure is pretty standard; character writing is great as you really get a sense of who Robinson's and Rudd's characters are as they create a relationship that feels like a parody of "Talented Mr. Ripley" or "Saltburn"; the character writing makes these characters feel like they are in a dramatized production of "I Think You Should Leave"

Screenplay - Great: The dialogue feels like it came straight from an "I Think You Should Leave" sketch; it is surprising that this movie wasn't written by Tim Robinson; the humor is great, as the movie is just an "I Think You Should Leave" sketch for 97 minutes; the symbolism is surprisingly there, as they talk about themes of loneliness, friendship, and obsession; the foreshadowing is prevalent

Acting - Very Good: Tim Robinson - Incredible (I love you so much; you are everything I want you to be; He basically plays his "I Think You Should Leave" persona for the entire movie; he develops great chemistry with the cast, especially Rudd; it borderline feels method), Paul Rudd - Very Good (Plays the straight man very well, and his stature and aura help make the movie realistic in Robinson's being so attracted to wanting to be his friend; he has great chemistry with Robinson), Kate Mara - Good (Plays the wife character well and has good chemistry with Robinson), Rest of the cast - Good (Everyone in the cast really brings something to the table; they work very well with the main cast to make the movie funny and such a great experience)

Score - Pretty Good: Helps make the movie feel mysterious and complements the tone shifts

Cinematography - Very Good: Makes the movie feel like it was shot by an auteur, as each camera angle feels like an art piece; The director said he drew inspiration from "The Master," and it shows

Editing - Good: Makes the movie feel like it was cut together by an auteur

Sound - Pretty Good

Pacing - Pacing is the right pace for the most part, as it uses its runtime well; Because the movie is a cringe comedy, it can feel slow at times; it definitely feels like they could have cut 5 minutes to make the movie a little tighter

Climax - The climax is executed to perfection as it feels like a culmination of this comedic ride we've been taken on

Tone - The tone is dramatic and thriller-esque, juxtaposed with "I Think You Should Leave" to create a movie that just feels like a parody of auteur-driven movies.

Was lucky enough to catch a screening of this before wide release and I haven't had this much fun with a movie in I don't know how long. I've been a fan of Tim Robinson for years now and I'm glad he's finally starting to get the recognition he deserves. He absolutely crushed it in his first movie role. His chaotic, over the top personality is perfect for this. Paul Rudd also does a great job and has some great deliveries as well. My theater was packed and it was nonstop laughs from beginning to end. Movies like this are necessary. It's been a long time since a comedy has come around that's just been a pure comedy. I miss those days and I'm thankful this movie was made. Tim you're the man, keep being weird.

Also great music and surprisingly fantastic cinematography.