As a massive fan of all things Tim Robinson, a long-time supporter of Paul Rudd’s contributions to pop culture, and someone who gets down with the best A24 movies, I made sure I saw Friendship as soon as humanly possible. I had a feeling that this would either be the funniest comedy on the 2025 movie schedule or the most uncomfortable experience of the year. Little did I know both would be true, and this movie would bring on an existential crisis that I’ve still not quite escaped.
I loved Friendship, but at the same time, I don’t like the way it made me feel – in the theater, on the drive home that night, or pretty much every day since then. Few movies have this effect on me – I think I can count them on one hand – and even fewer get my stamp of approval despite making me feel so down, so confused, and so on edge. Yeah, I’ve got to talk about it…
Don’t worry, nothing not already spoiled in the various Friendship trailers will be talked about here.
psychological thriller aspects a little later, but first, I have to talk about the way writer/director Andrew DeYoung and stars Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd created a unique experience that I’m sure people will be talking about for years, if not decades, to come.
Whether it’s Robinson’s character, Craig Waterman, talking about the new “Marvel,” a hilarious reference to the latest movies on the MCU timeline, Paul Rudd’s Austin Carmichael being charismatic, or the relatability of a blossoming friendship, so much works with this movie. I laughed, I winced, and I laughed while wincing on more than one occasion.
awkward discomfort in the theater was bad enough while watching Friendship, but what was even crazier was that it didn’t go away when I left the screening and started driving home. In fact, it only got more intense from there.
The whole idea of the movie – a man attempts to build a meaningful relationship with a new friend, only to mess it up and go on a journey of self-discovery – really got to me and made me think about just how hard it is to make friendships work the older we get. As someone who has struggled with this over the years, the experience led to a lot of soul-searching, which I didn’t expect. The feeling has begun to pass, but I did not like the way it made me feel.
Paul Rudd’s best stuff (still not as wild as his recurring prank on Conan O’Brien) and a movie that could take Robinson to the next level in his career. I mean, Robinson has come a long way from his short stint on Saturday Night Live, and Friendship only seems like a natural progression of his signature form of comedy.
The range shown off by these two comedic actors (not to mention the supporting cast that includes Kate Mara and Jack Dylan Grazer) is off the charts, and the chemistry (in both good times and bad) is so believable, so genuine, and relatable. Not quite standard comedy but not quite fully dramatic either, these two performances are in this weird, awkward space in the middle that allows their skills to shine.
upcoming A24 movies in the very near future.