Comedians these days can either accept that “funny” is an incredibly subjective term or blame their lack of talent on the “woke mafia.” So at least, there are options now. Tim Robinson is a prime example of the former option. A true Hawaiian pizza of a jokester, he is arguably too vehemently defended by those who find his humor delicious and remains baffling to a much wider majority. Having previously fallen into the latter group, I did not expect to enjoy Friendship. And yet, by God, the walking pineapple-ham-tomato-sauce cheeseball was somehow delicious this time. I blame Antifa.
I have an answer as to why, but first: Synopsis!
Friendship follows Craig, who is played by Tim Robinson acting as Tim Robinson has always and likely will always act. He is married to Tami, played by Kate Mara. Yes, the film does make their “Fred and Wilma” appearance disparity into a plot point. Tami has just beat cancer. Craig is a piece of crap. In the first scene, Tami confesses her deep fear about her disease returning and her need to enjoy and experience life. Craig is a piece of crap.
When Austin (Paul Rudd), a local weatherman who puts both Zs in rizz, moves into the neighborhood, Tami plays “friend matchmaker” and pairs the two. Austin shows off his band, his incredibly kind and interesting social circle, and a different outlook on the adventure that is life. Craig is a piece of crap. The two soon have a falling out. The rest of the movie is Craig further unraveling his life as a result.
The reason Robinson worked for me in this setting is pretty simple: Unlike in his show, he is depicted here as an unquestioned villain. He’s the bad guy. We’re not laughing with him. We are laughing at him without remorse. He is a violent narcissist. At one point, Tami asks him if he literally ever hears anything she says. He demonstrates clearly that he does not. He is the human embodiment of main character syndrome and empathy-free self-obsession. He is the pinata we desperately need in this moment.
Rudd isn’t doing anything new but is arguably in his sweet spot. He plays an impossibly charming weirdo with silly hair issues. Take away any small part of that description, and he doesn’t click quite as well. Charming but no silly hair? You get the Ghostbusters reboot, which largely sucks. Silly hair but not charming? You get the TV show The Shrink Next Door (you haven’t heard of it for a reason). No silly hair and not charming? You get Death of a Unicorn. Run.
Friendship feels like a genuine cult comedy, the kind that can’t be ginned up – in the same way you can’t truly intend to make a great B-movie. Everyone who likes it will have a different favorite line or cringy comic beat. Mine is a tie between an unseen rando at a party declaring with his full chest that American troops should still be in Afghanistan and a man explaining that his name is Jimp. I do not blame you and am not surprised if neither of those sound “funny,” due to that whole subjective thing we talked about. Also, a lot of people will hate literally every moment of this film.
If there is a grander message or point, beyond the obvious use of hyperbole to condemn the callously self-centered, it seems to be that men may be collectively broken. For many, opportunities to connect and relate have been reduced to beer-swigging Marvel movie discussions. The only way to circumvent this is to…try? Overcoming the machinations of the modern age requires minimal effort and basic human decency, the absence of which is epitomized by Craig. Don’t be a Craig.
Grade = A-
Other Critical Voices to Consider
Lisa Laman at Culturess says “Friendship handily joins 2020s gems like Bottoms, Anora, The People’s Joker, and Hundreds of Beavers in hysterically reinforcing enduring joys of quality big screen comedies.”
Sarah G. Vincent says “If given the choice between Friendship and the Joker franchise, it is no contest. Choose the prior, but I still yearn for a bleak realistic movie that ends with a whimper, not a crash out. This movie is a step in the right direction, but still far from the mark. Also to call it a comedy seems cruel. Secondhand embarrassment is scarier than any horror movie.”
Rachel Wagner says “I honestly almost walked out of this movie. I found it completely unbearable with its obnoxious lead character and terrible attempts at humor. I’ve liked awkward humor in the past but it often works by having some relief from said awkwardness or jokes that are over-the-top and funny you can’t help but laugh through the cringe. That was not the case here at all. Not one laugh.”