FRIENDSHIP (2025) review

written by: Andrew DeYoung
produced by: Raphael Margules, J. D. Lifshitz, Johnny Holland & Nick Weidenfeld
directed by: Andrew DeYoung
rated: R (for language and drug content)
runtime: 97 min.
U.S. release date: May 16, 2025

It is infrequent for modern-day comedies to hit me so hard with the funnies that I find myself simultaneously peeing and passing out, but that’s what I came close to doing the first time I watched “Friendship”. It’s a bizarre and absurd comedy from writer/director Andrew DeYoung that explores middle-aged male camaraderie and friendship. That’s how it’s marketed, and with Paul Rudd involved, that makes sense, considering he’s made similar comedies in the past, such as “I Love You, Man” and “Role Models.” However, there’s a lot more going on here. “Friendship” is really a portrait of an unfiltered man who is unaware of his impact on others, nor does he know how to be himself, as he’s so desperate to be accepted that he has no idea how strange and awkward he appears. What unfolds is a hilarious and unrelenting psychological study of the human need to connect.

Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) is a marketing executive residing in a middle-class suburban town of Clovis, Colorado, with his teen son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer), and his wife, Tami (Kate Mara), who’s in recovery after a bout with cancer. He’s a responsible, albeit odd, middle-aged man, content with his way of life, despite having no real friends. One day, Craig comes across a package meant for a neighbor that was mistakenly delivered to his address, and decides to walk it over. This is where he meets local weatherman, Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a quirky weatherman, who recently moved into the neighborhood with his wife, Bianca (an utterly wasted Meredith Garretson). Craig is immediately smitten by Austin’s mustachioed machismo, and Austin is charmed by Craig’s curious personality and his positive, “just ask” outlook on life. He eventually invites Craig to hang out with his bros.

The concept of a friend group is foreign to the nebbish Craig, and while he is trepidatious at first, he soon becomes enlivened and thrilled to be accepted and part of something that everyone shares. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for Craig to expose everyone to his eccentricities, creating one awkward and uncomfortable situation after another. Austin has to put a stop to it and let Craig know that they’ve “had a few good hangs”, but their time together has run its course. Craig is crushed and embarks on a quest to get back in with Austin and his circle of friends, but only winds up ruining his career and sinking his already deteriorating marriage with his disturbing behavior.

While “Friendship” is absolutely hilarious and an impressive feature-length directorial debut from DeYoung, there’s actually quite a bit more going on with the two characters played by Robinson and Rudd. The material the two actors work with is on point, but what they do with it and the dynamic they create together is spot-on.

Craig Waterman is a character unlike any other that we’ve seen in modern-day comedies. His behavior is so bizarre and particular that he comes across as unintentionally humorous and ridiculous. Robinson’s clever comic timing and abrupt looniness are a hoot, but his commitment to all the eccentricities of Craig becomes the real standout, adding a grounded realism to the character. We’ve all come across someone like Craig. A socially inept Other who desperately wants to be one of the guys, or at least feel seen and accepted. But he’s someone who will never honestly know how to chill or be “cool”; yet, at the same time, he’s totally comfortable being in his own skin. His entire wardrobe consists of variations of tan and brown from a company called Ocean View Dining. He’s obsessed with trying the “SEAL Team 6” special over at Rick’s Bar (a 20,000-calorie meal that replicates what the namesake devoured after killing Osama Bin Laden). He’s prone to broadcasting these two things to anyone he meets.

At the cold open of “Friendship,” we see Tami sitting next to Craig at a cancer recovery therapy group. She’s sharing honestly about where she stands, and it appears that he’s there to support her. However, we learn that he’s just not emotionally available or able to acknowledge the emotions of others, typically making it all about himself or turning the attention to himself somehow. Later in the film, Tami (played by Mara as either a woman gradually losing tolerance or a hostage looking for a way out) shares that her mother married a narcissist, and so did she.

Up until he meets Austin, Craig is content with his predictable life. He has achieved a certain level of accomplishment at his workplace, where he enjoys his own office as a marketing executive at a company that aims to make its products more addictive to consumers. When not at work, he’s content sitting in his comfy chair at home, making strange faces (like when he sees his son and wife kiss each other on the lips) and getting excited about going to see “the new Marvel” that is “literally driving everyone insane”.

There’s a longing awakened inside Craig once Austin invites him on adventures like finding wild mushrooms in the woods and illegally exploring the city’s aqueduct system. Craig feels alive and a part of something wild, which emboldens an impulsive and unhinged side that he is unlikely to be aware of and can’t control. When rejection and loss factor into Craig’s life, the film resembles a quirky “Fatal Attraction” that goes off the rails at every curve. It’s a fascinating performance by Robinson that most viewers will write off as a series of improvised scenes stitched together (especially those familiar with his “I Think You Should Leave” show on Netflix), but there’s much more going on here and the more you think about Robinson’s work here and the character of Craig Waterman, the more you’re likely to see that.

Rudd, who also serves as executive producer here and is one of the reasons “Friendship” was greenlit, isn’t just playing a variation of the bros he’s played before. Sure, Austin Carmichael somewhat resembles his Brian Fontana character from “Anchorman,” but he’s a much more likable character and someone who gradually reveals his own insecurities. In some ways, he’s just as insensitive and clueless as Craig, but he’s much more functional in social settings. He’s one of those guys that anyone would like to be around, and Rudd plays that perfectly.

There’s so much going on with the characters of “Friendship” that it’s easy to overlook (or take for granted) the sound and visual elements of the film. Cinematographer Andy Rydzewski accentuates the comic timing of the story while also pausing to incorporate the suburban environment in surprisingly contemplative ways, and then disrupting such moments with sudden camera moments that are often accompanied by death metal music. Composer Keegan DeWitt’s score adds unexpected layers of texture to the film, a rarity in most contemporary comedies. There are also songs utilized in some surprising ways, adding to the many unpredictable turns “Friendship” takes. All of these elements, combined, provide a unique viewing experience.

Amid all the hilarity and cringy chaos, DeYoung delivers a fascinating study of male friendship, complete with uncomfortable encounters, self-undoing, and unusual behavior. It’s a laugh-out-loud riot worth seeing in theaters simply to hear the reaction of those around you. “Friendship” is one of those comedies that you’ll want to share with different people during multiple viewings. It found me more than once coming close to simultaneously peeing and passing out in my seat.

RATING: ****