Courtney Howard // Film Critic
Rated R, 1 hour and 40 minutes
Directed by: Andrew DeYoung
Starring: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, Josh Segarra, Conner O’Malley, Billy Bryk
Even though filmmaker Andrew DeYoung never worked on I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE, about five minutes into FRIENDSHIP it’s abundantly clear he understands that wonderfully wacky show’s tone and star Tim Robinson’s range. He also does things one better, infusing his uproariously hilarious, unequivocally bonkers cautionary tale surrounding male friendship with an audacious amount of sincerity to balance out the silly. By showcasing male camaraderie through an absurdist lens, this sublime cringe-comedy plays like I LOVE YOU, MAN on acid.
Though he doesn’t realize it just yet, Craig (Robinson) is complacent in life. He seems content accepting the status quo as the poster child of suburban mundanity. He exclusively sports ill-fitting beige clothes from an L.L. Bean-esque brand. He doesn’t quite fit in with his work colleagues at their app-developer company. He only has his wife Tami (Kate Mara) to hang out with – and that’s if she’s not swamped with her at-home floral arrangement business or spending time with her ex-husband Devon (Josh Segarra). Even Craig’s teenage stepson Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer) doesn’t really want to hang out with him. But he’s kinda okay with all this.
Craig’s world shifts once he meets new neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd), who oozes old school, laid-back charm with his foppish hair, thick mustache and unruffled hippie speak (“Stay curious, Craig”). His cool guy confidence and swagger secured him a gig as their local news’ night weatherman, plus he plays in a punk rock band. This dude also bucks societal conventions (by not owning a cell phone) and authority (by breaking into City Hall to smoke and drink on the rooftop). Yet dishwater-dull Craig’s severe awkwardness gets in the way, causing Austin to sever their burgeoning bond. And that’s when cracks in the façade of these former friends’ lives are revealed.
The filmmakers waste no time acclimating us to Craig’s fairly simple, insular world and psyche. Keegan DeWitt’s twisted spa-gone-sour, tragi-synth compositions mix well with full choral orchestrations, intensifying after our hero splits with his free wheelin’ bestie, creating sonically cohesive bizart. Andy Rydzewski’s cinematography complements the material’s perfectly pitched tonal shifts. Sophie Corra’s edits enhance the inherent situational comedy as well as the character-driven scenes, allowing for the text and actors’ work to both resound on the right key.
The magic trick DeYoung and company pull off is making the narrative work both on a superficial level (for those who might not connect with this specific type of humor) and also beyond its chuckles within its deeper thematic subtext. This simp’s life worsens the more effort he pours into this neighborly relationship. It’s equal parts a haywire comedy about a man self-destructing his happy-ish life as it is a sad-sack drama about universally relatable male insecurities taking over and causing chaos. You’re bound to belly laugh as much as you’ll sympathize, eliciting a hushed, “Oh no, honey” to Craig and his conflicts and conundrums. Plus, it contains one of the funniest drug trip sequences this decade – one that involves a toad, a cellphone store back room and a dude named Tony (Billy Bryk), or “Big T” when his hair is down.
Robinson is in pure gonzo mode, letting it rip going for the laughs in the off-kilter scenarios like during Austin’s Guys Night, crashing through a sliding glass door, and later confronting a random partygoer (Conner O’Malley) in his garage at his wife’s welcome home party. Rudd is equally at home delivering the zanier aspects of his character’s hidden facets. He finds the perfect pocket within the madness. Supporting player Mara makes for a strong straight woman in the comedy act. She gives the picture pathos and a more grounded touchstone to reality.
No matter how insane FRIENDSHIP gets during its breezy run time, and despite the fact it’s the direct inverse of any other heartwarming film about male friendships, the film ironically acts as a salve for our weary souls. The communal giggles it provokes are unparalleled by any other comedy this year. And there’s no better thing than laughing so hard that you cry (or puke!) to bond you with the person next to you in a movie theater.
Grade: A
FRIENDSHIP opens in limited release on May 9. Nationwide on May 23.
