‘Friendship’ Review: Tim Robinson & Paul Rudd Lead One of the Funniest Movies of the 2020s

A good comedy movie is tough to find nowadays. Studio comedies essentially died in the late 2000s with the establishment of the superhero universe. Small, self-funded comedies are hard to access and are few and far between in terms of even getting made. But Friendship takes that problem and throws it right back in the face of the current state of movies. Awkward, strange, and stupidly funny, Tim Robinson‘s newest flick proves that comedy movies might just be back after all.

What Is ‘Friendship’ About?

Most famously known for his uniquely off-beat comedy sketch show I Think You Should Leave on Netflix, Tim Robinson has quickly entered the comedy zeitgeist of the 21st century. With memes on X (formerly Twitter), clips cycling through TikTok on a daily basis, and fan edits all over YouTube, Robinson’s bizarre humor is a fundamental staple of comedy in 2024. Friendship takes what Robinson is able to do so successfully in short format and extends it to a 97-minute, fully-rounded narrative with shocking triumph.

Director Andrew DeYoung‘s first feature follows Craig Waterman (Robinson) and his hum-drum life working for an app developer. That is, until new neighbor Brian shows up. Played with Anchorman style by Paul Rudd, Brian is everything that Craig wants to be. After Craig’s wife (Kate Mara) accepts an invite for Craig to join Brian for drinks one evening, their friendship sparks more than both of them thought possible. Craig is obsessed with Brian’s weatherman position at the local news station, his role in a punk band, and his “Stay Curious” catchphrase, which he says before bidding farewell to anybody. Craig has finally found the best friend he has been longing for!

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd Are a Brilliant Pair in ‘Friendship’

With its continual callbacks to ongoing jokes — from the opening moments of the film it’s stated that Craig doesn’t want to have the new Marvel project spoiled for him because he heard it was nuts! — and ability to work in new bits as the movie progresses, Friendship is a true display of new-age comedy working at full power. Once Craig starts acting a little strange around Brian, the relationship is severed.

Craig, left shocked, hurt, and broken, can’t accept that as an answer. As you can imagine, that’s where the movie really locks in to the Tim Robinson of it all, quickly abandoning the comedic tracks laid before it for a more off-beaten path that is weird, wacky, and wonderfully hilarious. Things get predictably strange — they explore some city sewers (more than once), Craig licks a toad to go on a hallucinogenic trip, and there’s a stickup. All in the name of friendship, of course!

Even though the film is a straight-up comedy, it does in fact offer up something a bit more. Surprisingly, it’s thematically relevant to the current landscape of society’s expectations around male mental health and relationships. Robinson, through his trademarked uncomfortable facial expressions and painfully awkward silences, brings forth a commentary that feels unusually at home within the no-bounds storytelling that guides the movie. Rudd is able to play off of that, embodying a guy caught within a moral quandary of offering up a meaningful friendship to his neighbor. It’s all rather strikingly brilliant.

A24 Is the Perfect Home for ‘Friendship’

A24 picked up Friendship soon after TIFF came to a close, bolstering their showings at the festival to a significant number of 7. The distributor has become known for its unique merch surrounding some of its more niche movie releases so I wouldn’t put it past them to come up with some quirky stuff for this flick, making it the perfect home for such a successful comedy picture.

As I write this review, I can’t help but be drawn back into the relationship of Brian and Craig, a funny friendship cut short, plagued with exuberance and energy. I want to rewatch the movie right now. There’s something so strange and alluring about a once-in-a-generation comedy style in Tim Robinson bringing his wares to the silver screen. A movie that’ll become an instant cult classic within the right circles, Friendship is sure to be one of the funniest movies you’ve seen this year!

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