Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd star in cringe comedy Friendship
Produced by indie darlings A24, Friendship is the debut starring role for Tim Robinson, best known for hit Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave. The show propelled the comedian to TikTok stardom, becoming the punchline of the viral “I’m doing my part” meme and having catchphrases from the show enter social media vernacular. This week, he teams up with Marvel star Paul Rudd for the excruciatingly funny Friendship.
Robinson plays Craig, a marketing executive whose lack of emotional availability means he is disconnected from his wife Tami (Kate Mara) and son Steve (Jack Dylan Grazer). His isolated life turns around, however, when he befriends Austin (Rudd), a charismatic weather man who has moved onto his street. Craig becomes energised by his new pal, but when his social awkwardness ruins the friendship, he becomes obsessed with winning Austin back.
The film is a platform for Robinson’s humour, with his misinterpretation of social cues and increasingly desperate behaviour leading to several moments that are both hilarious and cringe worthy in equal measure. What makes it more than a series of wacky antics, however, is an underlying theme of just how difficult it is to make friends as an adult. Every character in the story has some need to reconnect, and while Craig takes those insecurities to an extreme, there will be moments that will feel uncomfortably familiar. The intelligence of writer-director Andrew DeYoung’s story lies in finding a degree of empathy to a man who clearly is the villain of his own story.
With floppy hair, a thick moustache, and a TV news-centred job, Rudd’s Austin feels like a modern riff on his Anchorman character Brian Fantana. There’s no dodgy cologne this time, but his easy-going nature and free spirit make it easy to see why Craig would become so drawn to him. Considering that the Ant-Man star could be making any number of vanity projects with himself as the main attraction, it’s a testament to his talent that he turns up in a smaller, but nonetheless impactful role.
By contrast, Robinson is the epitome of chaos. It’s a delight to see him make snap decisions that turn things from bad to worse in a second. His reaction during a sequence where Craig goes on an uneventful drug trip, or finally snaps at his corporate job, are worth the price of admission alone. There’s always a concern that someone known for shorter content can expand their comedy to a feature length without exhausting the audience – happily Robinson has no such trouble, slotting his off-kilter persona into a character that feels like a nightmarish satire of the male loneliness epidemic.
If you’ve ever cracked a bad joke at a party, or persevered with a friendship that just wasn’t going anywhere, then this off-the-wall comedy with strike a chord as it makes you squirm in your seat. A fine showcase for a growing comedy great.
• Friendship is in cinemas from July 18