Friendship

A24 always comes in with some of the strangest films in the modern era, and that certainly continues with Friendship. This movie had me crying tears of laughter throughout the entire film with Tim Robinson's outbursts. So many out of pocket laugh out loud moments accompanied by some of the most awkward moments I've seen on film. Some will say it feels like one long sketch from I Think You Should Leave and in a sense they are right. Nevertheless, Friendship really does stands on its own as a future classic comedy film thanks to Tim Robinson's chaotic and hilarious performance. Paul Rudd was a great costar who really lets Robinson steal the show in this one. I'm so glad this movie exceeded my expectations in the strangest ways.

Story ~ ⭐ 5.5/10

The writer forgot to close some story lines, and when you do that, you leave the audience wanting. The movie is a negative character arc for both Robinson and Rudd, and that's depressing, especially without meaning or something else to grab onto. Yes, it was funny, at times, but it was drowned out by a sea of not enough audience payoff. Clever ending, not really.

Acting ~ ⭐ 7.0/10

Robinson is doing Robinson and Rudd is doing Rudd. Expanding on Rudd, it seems he has some acting tic he can't shake that's turned him into a cliché; it's something in his face, like an invisible string keeps him from doing something different. At times, Robinson's slapstick, especially the scene with the Vietnam hat-wearing overactor, degenerated into a yelling match that should have been left with the editor. My 7 for acting is generous, thanks to Kate Mara, who delivered the most talent and nuance by far.

Cinematography ~ ⭐ 7.5/10

Nothing special here, but not bad either. Sorry, I can't offer more.

Recommendation: This is uncomfortable, awkward humor. If you like that, rent it, but pass on the theater run.

Friendship is an absolute gem of a movie. The film is laugh out loud funny during its entire runtime. Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd are both hilarious and everyone else in the ensemble is very funny as well. The movie balances physical humor, funny situations, and well written jokes very well. The movie has some great set up and pay off jokes. Andrew DeYoung wrote and directed this movie and he did a great job in both of those aspects. The film is also shot very well, especially for a comedy, the cinematography here is fantastic. The movie is also very well edited and uses typical comedic editing tropes usually found in older movies or cartoons to full effect in this movie. I highly recommend this one if you like comedies.

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.

My husband and I can't stop talking about this film and what different scenes meant. We laughed throughout it with a theater of people, but were surprised about its philosophical message and provoking themes in what it means to be an American man in 2025. I know the middle-aged men portrayed in this film, many of them used to not married to my friends, and a few still can't seem to figure out how to connect to the people in their lives. I hate how this platform forces you to use a minimum number of words, but I'm going to do it because this film is a solid 8+ and I hate that it's currently at 7.7 when it's so much better than that if you're a thinking person.