What’s the only thing stranger than an I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson sketch? How about an A24 movie starring Tim Robinson? Friendship wasn’t written or directed by Robinson, with those duties going to newcomer Andrew DeYoung. It’s still apparent that we’re in a Tim Robinson production from the get-go. At first, all seems relatively normal, but there’s always something off… very off. We open with Robinson’s character, Craig Waterman, and his wife Tami in a support group. It’s mentioned that Tami is recovering from cancer, a plot point that doesn’t go anywhere. It’s reminiscent of the pointless cancer subplot in The Room. Unlike that disasterpiece, though, Friendship is intentionally funny.
That’s not to say the film will have everyone rolling in the aisles. If you’re at all familiar with Robinson’s shtick, you know this brand of cringe comedy can be an acquired taste. You’ll likely know from the first few minutes of Friendship whether Robinson’s sense of humor vibes with yours. You can consider me a fan, although some moments in Friendship are funnier than others. Occasionally, a bit can drag on for too long, which might be intentional. The film is designed to make us uncomfortable, after all. Every time Friendship started to try my patience, though, it made me laugh harder than any movie I’ve seen this year.
Craig is unwanted at home where Tami seems to be contemplating an affair with her ex-boyfriend (Josh Segarra). He also doesn’t get much respect from his son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer), who kisses his mother on the lips. Little oddities like that go a long way in making Friendship feel as if it exists in an alternate reality that’s almost like ours, but not quite. The titular friendship pertains to Craig and his new neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd). The two initially hit it off, although after one awkward night, Austin decides that Craig is just a little too weird for him. Of course, it’s not like Austin is your average Joe. On one of their first outings, Austin takes Craig on a sewer expedition.
In a more conventional comedy, Craig would be the only quirky character. In Friendship, just about everybody does or says something that would raise eyebrows in the real world. Even the most rational characters have their head-scratching moments. They’re all standing at the edge of what we consider acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Craig crosses that line the most, making him the village outcast. Yet, if any of these characters invaded another movie, they’d be the odd ones out.
To some, Friendship will come off as random and just plain weird. Of course, the same can be said about many A24 movies. Is Friendship secretly a satire of A24’s filmography? Perhaps unintentionally, but the film also functions as something of a modern Cable Guy, which similarly blended buddy comedy with stalker horror picture. You might not call this high praise, seeing how The Cable Guy wasn’t exactly beloved in 1996. That black comedy found an audience, though, with many feeling it was ahead of the curve. With viewers growing more open to the deranged, Friendship should be a bonding experience for Robinson’s fans.