FRIENDSHIP
Starring: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, Josh Segarra, and Billy Bryk
Director: Andrew DeYoung
ADRIANO
As a long-time fan of Tim Robinson's I Think You Should Leave, I'm delighted to say his comedic sensibilities aren't exclusive to sketch comedy. Thanks to Robinson's pitch-perfect delivery, Friendship contains plenty of laughter throughout. The constantly excessive absurdism of the plot and Paul Rudd's delightful straight-man act also add a lot to the experience when it comes to the hilarity. Did I think the movie's message on loneliness could've been executed better? Perhaps. But if you need to laugh consistently for 97 minutes, I don't know how Friendship wouldn't be exactly what you're looking for.
NICK
I think you should leave... That’s what I thought about 10 minutes into Friendship as I realized this wasn’t going to be my kind of comedy. I stayed until the end, sure, but my suspicions were correct. Aside from the rare gag I found to be clever, at best, I couldn’t muster much more than the odd smirk. Had I not expected the laugh-out-loud comedy this was promoted as, I could have gotten deeper into the concept of this bizarre character study. Instead, I was left with Tim Robinson’s repetitive antics and question of “why?” It’s safe to say this one just wasn’t for me.
AMARÚ
The desire for personal connection is universally relatable, and the team behind Friendship utilizes over-the-top humor to emphasize that basic human need. However, what some call cringe comedy, I call flat out annoying. Really, what the hell did I just watch? I get what Tim Robinson and writer/director Andrew DeYoung are going for, but there’s only so much self-inflicted pain you can cause before it crosses the line into embarrassment. They are habitual line-steppers, and my urge to walk out of the theater to avoid the next uncomfortable situation that the unlikable characters put themselves in is not an experience I want to repeat.
BODE
It’s probably easy to assume that Friendship is an extended I Think You Should Leave sketch, especially given that it stars Tim Robinson, one of the new masters of cringe comedy. You wouldn’t be totally off, as writer/director Andrew DeYoung leans into Robinson’s trademark discomfort for everything it’s worth, ensuring that this demented portrait of male loneliness never takes a conventional path (even in moments where you think it will). It’s not only funny as a result, but unexpectedly poignant as you peel back the layers. It can be a little scattershot at times, but even with that, Friendship manages to linger.
This film was reviewed by Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.