A man tries to befriend his charismatic new neighbor, but it soon threatens to ruin both of their lives.
Director: Andrew DeYoung
Cast: Tim Robinson, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, Paul Rudd, Josh Segarra
Release Date: May 9, 2025
Genre: Comedy
Rated R for language and some drug content.
Runtime: 1h 40m
Review:
Andrew DeYoung's Friendship is a hilariously bizarre film about male friendship gone horribly wrong powered by some utterly cringe inducing turns from Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd. DeYoung's directorial debut is a strange mix of grounded, mundane reality paired with occasional flights of fancy that gives the film a distinctive feel even as we follow the inanest moments of these characters’ lives. Tim Robinson's very specific sort of cringe comedy fits this story perfectly as we follow his character's obsessive need to hold on to his newfound friendship. There's nothing terribly subtle about it which works in spots and takes out of the story in others since it makes you question if his character could maintain a marriage and career with this sort of acute arrested development. There's an insulation that his life had been neutered to such an extent that he's left desperate to make a connection with somebody outside of his family and work group. The cool guy, Paul Rudd channeling his Anchorman character Brian Fantana, shows him some authentic interest before a hilariously horrible hangout has Robinson's character shunned as a weirdo. Things quickly spiral out of control as Robinson's character desperately tries to get back in Rudd's good graces resulting in a few inspired moments. Kate Mara delivers a more subtle but effective performance as Robinson's cancer survivor wife who has checked out of their relationship ages ago. Mara and Robinson don't quite work the way they should since it’s hard to believe they'd been married for as long as they have in the film. It’s one of those story threads that lacks the kind of authenticity that really keeps Friendship from being a consistently enjoyable experience as opposed to a series of highs and lows.
B
