Initially premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024, Friendship is a new film that premiered wide this past weekend. Written & directed by Andrew DeYoung, the film stars Tim Robinson, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Glazer, and Paul Rudd. A man tries to befriend his charismatic new neighbor, but it soon threatens to ruin both of their lives.

I didn’t expect too much going into this. I love A24 movies, but I love I Love Man even more. That movie is probably my all-time favorite comedy. I also have enjoyed Tim Robinson’s comedy. I’ve seen mostly good reviews for this film, but I’ve also seen some bad. Even though I enjoyed the film, I can see some of the flaws.

The humor the film presents is dark, self aware, and won’t be for everyone. The way people talk is shocking, yet hilarious. When Kate Mara, who plays at Tim Robinson’s character’s wife, is bluntly honest about the way she’s dissatisfied with her love life is funny, yet you can immediately feel yourself drawn to Robinson’s character for having to endure that when he’s already trying to be so nice.

The development we see with this character is necessary to understand why he would be so drawn to Rudd’s character. Rudd is everything he’s wanted to be, so when he is accepted, he doesn’t want to lose it. When Robinson’s character is eventually shut out by Rudd and his friend, the film turns into a full blown horror movie where Robinson will go to any length to maintain his friendship. Let’s be honest, we’ve all felt that anxiety when we feel like we’re losing something that we didn’t mean to lose. It’s the way things keep getting worse and worse is how the film is going to be remembered. I wouldn’t even be surprised if this ends up becoming a cult classic one day.

To explore its themes, the film can be quite funny, but I can see some jokes going over other people’s heads. To me, the misdirections Robinson’s character goes through can be jarring and the film’s weakest link. From his wife randomly disappearing to taking drugs from a teenager, the film does feel lost at times. At the same time, it speaks true to how lost this main character is.

I personally love Paul Rudd, so it was interesting to see him be in a supporting role. Tim Robinson was the perfect fit for the lead role as it felt like something that fits his personality. It showcases just how good he can be in a lead role.

The film works incredibly well between Robinson & Rudd. They are both hilarious, but also deeply sympathetic and flawed characters. I just don’t know if the film always knows what to do with the side characters. Kate Mara has some solid moments that help develop Robinson’s character. She is also quite funny, but her along with Jack Dylan Glazer, who plays as the son, feel more like plot devices than real characters. To help drive its themes even further, the film could have explored the characters more as individual people rather than what they mean to Robinson’s character.

Without getting into any spoilers, I really liked the ending. It feels like Robinson’s character has a rational reaction to a reveal, but he does go too far. Yet, there is a brief moment that leads him to making a decision because he’d still do anything for friends. Even though it lands him in a bad place, it was worth it to him due to the way he was looked at in the moment. While some may want more resolution with the fallout, the film ends on the perfect note by showing what it cost him to satisfy a friend.

Overall, Friendship has real potential to get better over time. At the moment, I still found it to be deeply funny and full of meaning. The writing leaves a little bit to be desired. In the end, this is a perfect showcase for Tim Robinson that proves he is more than capable of leading more comedic films.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)