Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd star in ‘Friendship.’
Submitted Photo
Men shouldn’t have friends. Or should they? That is the tagline from the freshest film coming out of my favorite studio, A24, to hit the cinema so far this year. I don’t know about you, but the conundrum I find trying to make friends as an adult in this day and age is most of our interactions come from our work environments. Well, that and Facebook, but we all know that is an alternate reality.
“Friendship,” stars a wildly popular man of the moment, Tim Robinson (“I Think You Should Leave”). He plays Craig, a run-of-the-mill, paint-by-numbers spouse who enjoys his recliner more than he does the company of others. His overly-patient florist wife, Tami, played by the always adorable Kate Mara (“Smile,” “House of Cards”), suggests he — and just short of strong arms him to — befriend their new showy meteorologist neighbor, Austin, played colorfully by Paul Rudd.
“Friendship” felt a bit confused; it didn’t know quite what it wanted to be. Was it a comedy, a drama, or perhaps a mystery? In the end, I, too, am over labels, so why can’t it be whatever it wants to be, no judgment passed? And no, I am not woke! I just feel titles should merely be left for books.
I must admit, I am not always up on the latest and greatest trends on TikTok, so going in, I had very little clue who this comedic sensation Tim Robinson even was. I will say this: Although odd and quirky indeed, he is worth the hype. We will be seeing much more of this man in the near future, mark my words. He is kind of the anti-Brad Pitt type, not handsome, yet relatable by many measures.
I can’t recall the last time I went to a movie where the audience was laughing in such a jolly uproar one moment and gasping at the very next scene. That explains the true awkward nature of this story. Brilliantly written, this dark comedy has a lot to say about the nature of post-COVID relationships. Pals one day, iced out the next.
“Friendship” is an instant classic, and just like that little black dress, or your favorite flannel button-down, I promise you, unlike the people who ghost us, this title will never go out of style.
REVIEW
“Friendship”
Starring: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd
Christopher’s “Meow” Score: 8.5 paws out of 10.
Christopher Vernon is a proud NEPA resident and award-winning writer and author. He began writing film reviews on his page ‘The Movie Meow’ since 2018. His favorite two films of all time are ‘Thelma & Louise’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby.’ And of course you guessed it, Chris adores cats.
