Friendship (dir. Andrew DeYoung)

By: Adam Freed

Former United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy coined the phrase “male loneliness epidemic” as it applied to the rapidly increasing number of adult men struggling with social isolation.  While plenty of research has been conducted in contradiction to Murthy’s 2017 claim, the steadfast truth is that adults, regardless of gender, need friends.  Making new friends is, in all simplicity, harder for some people than others.  This is an understatement for Craig, a middle-aged, middle manager living an unremarkable life in middle America.  Craig’s wife, Tami, a work from home floral designer and cancer survivor, seems at her wits end with Craig’s inability to operate within the social constructs that society would deem appropriate.  Things take a turn for Craig when he meets his new neighbor Austin, a local meteorologist with a penchant for devilish fun.   This loose framework of a narrative defines director Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship, a visually drab, but unexpectedly humorous playground on which comedian Tim Robinson (Detroiters) brandishes his moronic, yet entertaining brand of humor.

Joining Tim Robinson in the absurdity that is Friendship are Paul Rudd (Anchorman, Ant-Man) and Kate Mara (The Martian, Shooter), who plays Craig’s straight-laced wife Tami.  Robinson and Rudd offer the promise of a comedic dream duo, until it becomes apparent that Rudd provides little more than a recycled Anchorman persona, leaving Robinson to carry the comedic weight of the film on his shoulders.  DeYoung’s Friendship is laugh out loud funny, but only to a point, because when it comes to comedy, there certainly can be too much of a good thing.  Tim Robinson leans into idiocy with an impressive confidence that is equal parts ineptitude and ignorance.  Robinson is a master of his very acute craft, it is just a shame that his arsenal appears somewhat limited.  The dimwitted Craig evolves from humorously entertaining, to down right confounding throughout the course of the film.  Like Adam Sandler in the 90’s, Robinson is very good at his routine, but making it fit the narrative of a feature length comedy will likely rely on more than Rudd has to offer in Friendship.   

Also muffling the latent potential of Friendship is the intentionally dingy and drab appearance of the film.   The interminable gray skies and perpetual soggy weather do little to engender Friendship with the liveliness that it aspires to intone even for a dark comedy.  Equally intentional but counterproductive is the earthen colorway of the film’s costume design, that feels like an homage to the mid 70’s, a choice that leaves Friendship looking more like Denis Villeneuve’s deathly serious Prisoners (2013) than any contemporary buddy comedy.  Audiences looking to disappear into the darkness for a few hours and enjoy a laugh at the idiocy that Tim Robinson captures so well, are likely to find value, but little meaning in their Friendship experience.  Andrew DeYoung’s film is very funny for the first act and a half, but falls far short of striking comedic gold.  Adult friendship and health are directly linked according to Dr. Vivek Murthy, perhaps Friendship will prompt middle aged men to get out and see a movie together.

Target Score: 6/10 - Friendship is a dark and humorously absurdist reflection on the state of male friendship in America.  Amounting to little more than a comedy showcase for the ascending Tim Robinson, there are as many genuine moments of riotous laughter as there are causes for second-hand embarrassment.