‘Friendship’ Is More Than Just Hilarious

How hard is it to make friends as an adult man? For underwhelming 40-something Craig, the protagonist of one of 2025’s most funny films Friendship portrayed by comedian Tim Robinson, it’s an excruciatingly difficult affair tied to his supernatural ability to say the wrong thing in every situation.

With an awkward home life and a boring job, it’s understandable why Craig becomes immediately infatuated with new neighbour and friend Austin (Paul Rudd) when he moves in down the street. They get along well at first, but after one disastrous night Austin tells Craig they shouldn’t be friends anymore. To say Craig takes this poorly is an understatement.

Though it is a sincerely hilarious film, what makes Friendship so effective is that it’s also an extremely specific portrait of a lonely but ultimately self-centred man we’ve all met at some point in our lives. Maybe he’s our co-worker, a member of our family or a friend… director Andrew DeYoung relies on our ability to recognise this guy and hold both understanding and repulsion for why he is this way.

It’s particularly brilliant to cast Tim Robinson as Craig, one of our finest purveyors of cringe comedy in the 21st century. Known for his sketch series I Think You Should Leave, Robinson is expertly deployed here as the devastatingly cringeworthy Craig. 

Friendship finds absurdity in the motions of everyday life, and Robinson’s experience in creating hilariously uncomfortable sketch comedy means he’s perfectly synchronised with Andrew DeYoung’s vision for the film, which is composed with a welcome sense of emotional clarity and filmmaking craft that clarifies Craig’s story as somewhat of a tragedy of his own making. 

Friendship is a tragedy… in a sense

That vision is also really damn funny… if you like cringe comedy. The humour comes from just how painful it is to watch Craig navigate every social setting he finds himself in, and his utter failure to function like a normal person. Whether it’s hanging out with Austin’s friends, crashing out at work or experiencing a hilarious drug trip, the film expertly constructs scenes that are both individually hysterical while pushing the narrative forward. 

Though Craig under Robinson’s stewardship is the main driver of laughs, Friendship couldn’t work as well as it does without its supporting characters. Casting Paul Rudd as the highly charismatic (and occasionally suspect) neighbour Austin is a stroke of genius, allowing Rudd to use his infinite well of charisma in service of the film’s themes.

Kate Mara is also great as Craig’s dejected wife Tami, and gives the film a comparatively serious baseline that serves as a launchpad for its comedy. There are also a number of excellent one-to-two scene performances scattered throughout the film from performers like Billy Bryk and especially Connor O’Malley that are nothing short of hysterical. 

But even these small flourishes serve the ultimate point of Friendship, which is to be a character study of male identity and friendship in the 21st century. It does this with great hilarity, owing to Tim Robinson’s inspired turn as a guy who sucks, but its success ultimately lies in the fact that it has much more to say about male friendship than initially expected.

★★★★½

Friendship is in cinemas now.