Friendship – Film Review

Director – Andrew DeYoung
Writer – Andrew DeYoung
Stars – Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara

This is the story of Craig (Tim Robinson). He has a comfortable middle-class existence and a boring, mundane job. He is married to Tami (Kate Mara), and they have one son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). What Craig lacks in life is friends, as he spends his nights on the sofa watching television. When Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the area, they meet after a parcel addressed to Austin arrives at Craig’s door. Austin is everything Craig isn’t. He has an exciting job as a TV Weatherman and has an extensive group of friends. Austin takes Craig under his wing and they quickly become close friends, that is, until Craig makes a mistake and is banished from Austin’s world! Craig sets out to win back Austin’s affection.

If you know Tim Robinson, you’ll know what to expect. Tim is the star of Netflix comedy ‘I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson’, which focuses on long, drawn-out scenes, where the joke becomes bizarre and over the top. Robinson has a long history in the comedy scene and spent several years as a writer on “Saturday Night Live”. This new creation draws elements of his Netflix series, and his goofy demeanour carries through.

This film works surprisingly well. If you’re a fan of Tim Robinson, you’ll undoubtedly love it, but I suspect this will win over some new admirers. The film retains the cringe factor that you would associate with Robinson, but it is toned down as necessary to sustain the longer runtime. While it is mostly a comedy, it actually has something to say. Writer/ Director Andrew DeYoung has come up with an interesting concept on the difficulties of male friendships, especially establishing them later in life. Paul Rudd is enjoyable as the ‘cooler than cool’ Austin, but it’s impossible to take your eyes off Craig, as he falls deeper into his self-dug hole.