When describing Andrew DeYoung’s new film “Friendship,” it’s easiest and accurate to say it’s an “I Think You Should Leave” sketch with a 1 hour and 40 minute runtime. To some, that may sound like a waste of what could be a good Friday night, but for those who enjoy Tim Robinson’s offbeat, rambunctious comedy style, it’s time to rejoice: we’ve been blessed with the most hilarious comedy in the past five years.
“Friendship” follows Craig (Robinson), a suburban everyman who catches an intense friend crush on his smooth neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd). When Austin “breaks up” with Craig, his life begins to spiral. The film is normal at its core but prompted the most guffawing I’ve seen at a theater in a long time. DeYoung was able to perfectly adapt Robinson’s patented style of cringe-inducing humor, which works even better in film than TV, dealing out joke after joke at rapid speed. The pauses between dialogue to laugh were so well-timed that even SNL would be jealous.
This movie is disturbingly uncomfortable, which plays to its favor. At its core, this is a movie about male friendship, boasting the tagline “Men shouldn’t have friends.” Yet, DeYoung uses Robinson’s talent for self-deprecating humor instead as a critique of the performance of masculinity.
As the film moves from joke to joke, the comedic weight is placed on our protagonist Craig. Though he keeps making mistake after mistake, the only thing left for him is empathy.
At times, the awkwardness and profound narcissism of Robinson’s character is extremely troubling. Yet, the film repeatedly showcases his pained need to connect with others, thanks to Robinson’s peculiarly heartbreaking pitch-perfect performance as a man with no friends. Robinson goes back and forth with ease between being rational and being a punching bag. This wouldn’t be able to happen without DeYoung’s direction, with the help of precise cuts and transitions by editor Sophie Corra, as well as casting director Melissa DeLizia, who brings in niche internet provocateurs Ivy Wolk and Conner O’Malley.
This movie is in a whole new class of its own. It’s a pure comedy in essence but between the lines, it’s as revealing as any drama about toxic masculinity, maybe even more so. Maybe this is a call for help representing men’s desires to be loved for who they are. Maybe men should have friends.
