Dir: Andrew DeYoung
Cast: Tim Robinson, Kata Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, Paul Rudd
Whether you love it or hate it, Tim Robinson’s cringeworthy comedic style translates effectively to the big screen in this painful and uncomfortable film about losing friendships
Over the past couple of weeks, I have endured two of the most painful movies to watch this year. Last week, I attended an advanced screening of Danny and Michael Philippou’s visceral psychological horror film “Bring Her Back”, which continues to haunt my dreams days later. This week, I once again found myself peering through my fingers as I watched American comedian Tim Robinson‘s many unsuccessful attempts to rekindle a friendship with Paul Rudd‘s quirky weatherman in the aptly titled dark comedy “Friendship”. While comedy and horror may seem like polar opposites on the surface, they share a psychological similarity that is often overlooked. Both genres evoke our most primal emotional responses, causing our hearts to race with either sheer terror or uncontrollable laughter. Coincidentally, both titles have been distributed by A24, the increasingly prolific arthouse production company that grant their filmmakers total creative freedom, resulting in such cinematic and emotional extremes.
Robinson has gradually become a household name in the comedy circuit in the United States over the past decade. He has appeared in and written several skits for “Saturday Night Live”, created his own sitcom “Detroiters”, and developed his own sketch show “I Think You Should Leave”. Like many Brits, I am mostly unfamiliar with Robinson’s work since most American comedy shows, particularly sketch programs like SNL, fail to resonate with British audiences. The only exposure I’ve had to Robinson is through occasional clips on TikTok, which often showcase one of his many characters experiencing some form of mental or psychotic breakdown. These skits seem to aim for the cringeworthy comedy style of UK shows like “The Office”, as well as the anger-driven humour typical of performers like Adam Sandler. Personally, I have found these skits to be more painful to watch than funny. The attempted blend of British and American humour appears to almost alienate both cultures across the Atlantic.
When it was announced that Robinson would be bringing his cringe-inducing comedic style to the big screen, I couldn’t have been less interested, especially after rolling my eyes at the limited amount of his work I had encountered. However, after watching “Friendship”, I realized that the frustration and rage often associated with Robinson’s characters need time to simmer below the surface before they can explode into a hilarious and equally awkward payoff.
Robinson stars as Craig Waterman, a timid marketing executive who is preparing to sell his family home with his wife, Tami (Kata Mara), and their teenage son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). After recently recovering from cancer, Tami grows increasingly frustrated with Craig’s emotional unavailability and lack of support for her flower business. This leads her to rekindle a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Devon (Josh Segarra).
Feeling stuck in a rut and distant from his family, Craig’s life begins to change when he meets his new neighbour, quirky meteorologist Austin (Paul Rudd). To Craig’s surprise, they develop an unexpected friendship that rejuvenates both of their lives through the insightful advice they share. An energized Craig becomes a more attentive husband and father, while Austin finally begins to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming the local daytime weatherman.
With their lives seemingly on the rise, Austin invites Craig to join him and his friends for an evening. However, what starts as a cordial gathering takes a turn when the insecure Craig escalates a friendly boxing match by unexpectedly sucker punching Austin in a misguided attempt to fit in. Following this incident, Austin starts to distance himself from Craig. Desperate to revive the only friendship he has, Craig’s attempts only make things worse, further straining his home and work life.
What Robinson and writer-director Andrew DeYoung bring to this dark and excruciating twist on the typical buddy comedy is their uncanny ability to unnerve the audience. While many of the supposed jokes in “Friendship” may not always provoke laughter, they will undoubtedly have viewers peering at the screen through their fingers as the increasingly desperate Craig does everything he can to salvage his only friendship. It is easy to sympathize with Robinson’s nebbish central character, who clearly struggles in social situations. Seeing him lose his only friends and source of happiness is initially heartbreaking. However, as Craig’s attempts to reach out to Austin become more intense, we start to see that the smooth-talking Austin was right to cut ties with his clearly unstable neighbour. The only thing Austin is guilty of is misreading Craig’s lack of stability as enthusiasm and eccentricity, meaning when Austin confronts Craig about needing some time apart after their brief whirlwind friendship, it hits Craig like a ton of bricks.
Although Robinson often portrays self-imploding characters in his various skits and television shows, his attempts to provoke cringe are more successful in this feature film because he is given the time to immerse the audience in the miserable and stale life his central character leads, making Craig’s eventual mental and verbal breakdown all the more shocking. While I have been somewhat won over by Robinson’s divisive comedic style in this film, it’s clear that he will continue to split audiences with his off-kilter satire and extreme depictions of human social behavior. Those who enjoy his television work will likely be blown away by this big-screen endeavor, while those who cannot tolerate his grimacing style may not last more than five minutes.
Although Craig’s downward spiral becomes repetitive to the point of predictability, Robinson’s natural unlikability—meant as a compliment in this case—keeps viewers wincing throughout the surprisingly dark and occasionally hilarious events. DeYoung manages to keep things fresh with some surprisingly creative filmmaking in his debut feature, cleverly using obscure cutaways and claustrophobic framing to expose Craig’s unstable psyche. One standout scene shows a hallucinating Craig—having licked a toad—ordering a sandwich from Austin, who now has bleach blonde hair and is working in a Subway. Although the scene doesn’t amount to much, with even Craig feeling cheated by the experience, it further examines Craig’s unhealthy obsession with his neighbour.
The Verdict:
The jokes might not always make you laugh, but they’ll certainly have you watching through your fingers as Tim Robinson’s unstable and increasingly desperate central character tries to save the one friendship that is keeping him from the monotony of midlife.
Friendship will start showing in UK Cinemas from Friday 18th July
Dan Loves Film 