THE STORY: A suburban family man gets in over his head when the arrival of a new, charming neighbor leads him down an obsessive pursuit of camaraderie.
THE CAST: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara & Jack Dylan Grazer
THE TEAM: Andrew DeYoung (Director & Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes
Channeling the spirit of his “I Think You Should Leave” sketch series, Tim Robinson puts on a showstopping, laugh-out-loud performance as a cringey suburban dad in Andrew DeYoung’s comedy “Friendship.” Robinson plays Craig Waterman, a man without friends who works a mundane job of making products more addictive. When he’s not obsessing over the “new Marvel,” he shops at Ocean View Dining, from which his entire wardrobe is bought, and looks on as his wife, Tami (Kate Mara), coddles their teenage son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). A prisoner of his idiosyncrasies, Craig is desperate to be accepted and loved beyond his many-existing faults.
Then comes a new neighbor, Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a charismatic weatherman, towards whom Craig immediately takes a fond liking. Luckily, the mailman has been delivering Austin’s mail to Craig’s house, giving him all the excuses to walk over, introduce himself, and make a new friend. Soon enough, an unlikely bromance emerges between the two, where they bond over punk rock music, share their hatred for work, and indulge in a mutual love of ancient artifacts. That isn’t enough for Craig, however. His obsessive personality takes over, causing him to act out against his new friends and act upon the anger he has been dying to release.
A certified epitome of cringe, “Friendship” tackles our desperate need as humans to fit in. Interestingly, Andrew DeYoung pushes the boundaries of this concept by centering and exploring this theme with manhood. We all know that making friends as adults isn’t easy. But DeYoung chooses to confront this notion through a man who can’t ever read the room, control his temper, or discuss anything without people questioning his sanity. It’s also a wonder how Craig has been in a committed marriage for so long, though his and Tami’s relationship deserves its own speculations. Nonetheless, Craig is a fascinating case study in this baffling comedy on human behavior.
Proving that social norms are too difficult for him, Craig begins to spiral after a mistake during a hang-out, leaving Austin and his friends to wonder if it’s worth it to keep Craig in their lives. Of course, this doesn’t sit right with Craig, jumpstarting a long journey of countless, awkward faux pas that provide plenty of laughs (if contrived plot points and cringe-worthy moments are your thing). Where the story goes wrong, however, is when it abandons certain important circumstances (due to the frequency at which they appear) to facilitate moments of humor. Unfortunately, this is also when the film feels like a series of sketches and loses the steam of its narrative.
If you’re expecting a message about growth from its central character, this isn’t the type of film to give you that. There are no life lessons here, nor is there an intent to teach the character a lesson in social etiquette and behavior. This is all about entertainment, with little realism and lots of funny drama in between. Robinson’s Craig may be all kinds of eccentric, but he’s unapologetically himself in every situation, which is the basis of the film’s lighthearted tone despite some extremely dark content. To that end, Robinson is certainly in his element, perfectly navigating Craig’s desperate attempt for connectivity and friendship.
A rugged look at the desperation of making friends as an adult male, DeYoung’s “Friendship” is often cringe-worthy but conceptually funny. Robinson and Rudd make the perfect unlikely pair, as their energies feed off one another and yield humorous interactions. DeYoung seemingly shows little interest in character growth and life lessons, as his script often abandons plot points and reality to keep the edge-of-your-seat drama going for its entire runtime. But, thanks to some committed performances and a satisfying enough ending, this film executed its number one goal: to entertain.
