Writer/director Andrew DeYoung’s dark comedy Friendship explores what happens when a budding bromance suddenly and disastrously comes to an end. Unfortunately, the film’s central bromance involves an incredibly unlikable character.
Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson, I Think You Should Leave) has a decent life. Craig has a lovely wife, Tami (Kate Mara, Class of 09), who has been cancer-free for a year now, a teenage son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer, The Spiderwick Chronicles), and a job in technology that makes apps habit-forming. Yes, life is good.
When the mailman accidentally leaves a package for Craig’s new neighbor, Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd, Death of a Unicorn), on his doorstep, Craig delivers it. This is the beginning of the end of Craig’s melancholy life. Austin befriends Craig unrealistically quickly, inviting him to have a beer the next night and calling him at work to leave early and go play hooky. Craig becomes enamored with Austin and develops a man crush on his neighbor, who happens to be the weatherman for the local television station and in a band.
At first, Austin genuinely likes Craig and enjoys his company. But at a male bonding get-together at Austin’s where Craig meets his friends, Austin begins to see Craig’s quirky behavior and anger issues and realizes he’s made a mistake.
The next day, when Craig tries to smooth things over, things go from bad to worse. Austin tells Craig, “Look, we had a couple of really nice hangs, but I think it’s best if we go our separate ways. I don’t wish to continue this friendship.” To say Craig takes the rejection hard would be a gross understatement. He becomes obsessed with trying to win back Austin’s friendship, no matter the cost or what it takes.
Friendship is a cringe-inducing dark comedy missing any laughs. The film is a misfire mainly because the main character, Craig, is not only unlikable but also truly disturbing. He’s in need of mental help, which makes Friendship uncomfortable to enjoy.
Tim Robinson delivers a strong performance as Craig, a weird, socially awkward, insecure individual who deep down is a narcissistic, passive-aggressive person who lashes out in anger when things don’t go his way. He constantly ignores his wife’s fears about her cancer coming back as well as her desperate need for a bigger van for her home floral business. Craig’s obsession with rekindling his friendship with Austin descends into madness.
Paul Rudd delivers an all too familiar performance as Austin, the cool, likable local weatherman who wants nothing more to do with Craig after realizing just how loony and strange he really is. Kate Mara’s performance as Tami, Craig’s recovering wife, seems as though it belongs in a different film. She plays all her scenes straight and sincere as though she were in a drama. It’s also not believable that Tami would ever be with someone like Craig. It just doesn’t work.
Lacking laughs and having a main character that’s completely unsympathetic, Friendship is a dark comedy that is too dark and uncomfortable for its own good.
GRADE: C-
Rating: R for language and some drug content
Release Date: May 9, 2025 (limited), May 23, 2025 (Nationwide)
Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Studio: A24
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