'Friendship' Review: A24’s Unsettling Bromance Starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd
- Dan Bremner
- Jul 19
- 3 min read
By Dan Bremner - July 19, 2025
“Suburban dad Craig falls hard for his charismatic new neighbour, but his attempts to make an adult male friend soon threatens to ruin both of their lives.”
A24’s 'Friendship' Hits the UK Late and Barely Lands in Theatres
Friendship had been on the radar for a while, and—unsurprisingly, like all non-franchise films that don’t cost hundreds of millions—the UK got it several months after the US. The theatrical release (if it can even be called that) was pitiful. It gave me time to watch all of I Think You Should Leave and get on Tim Robinson’s unique style of comedy that certainly isn't for everyone. This A24 comedy-drama (Horror/psychological thriller?) is for better or worse, an extended I Think You Should Leave sketch, but one that borders on uncomfortable and sad, while also delivering the awkward cringe-worthy laughs you could hope for.
Andrew DeYoung’s feature debut is a chaotic brilliance, blending I Think You Should Leave’s unhinged energy with a darker, philosophical edge akin to The Killing of a Sacred Deer’s eerie tension. It’s an A24 gem that teeters between comedy and dread, cementing its cult-classic potential. As often funny as this was, I was genuinely more on edge than I was finding it funny, as the whole thing just feels like it's leading to something horrific, and the eerie, synth score does a lot of the heavy lifting here.
Tim Robinson’s Craig, a socially awkward marketing exec, is a whirlwind of nervy twitches and desperate bids for approval, his every misstep a cringe-inducing mirror to anyone who’s fumbled a friendship. Paul Rudd’s Austin, a weatherman with easy likeability, masks his own flaws with charm, making their dynamic a compelling clash of need and nonchalance. Unfortunately, outside the leads, very little of the other cast are explored, with Craig’s wife (Kate Mara) doing little but suffer through her husband's manic state until it reaches boiling point and the relationship with the son (Jack Dylan Grazer) feels like an afterthought.
The film’s exploration of male loneliness and modern narcissism hits hard, turning Craig’s obsessive quest for connection into a raw, uncomfortable and often sad journey. It’s less I Love You, Man’s warm bromance and more a dissection of middle-aged isolation, grounded in real depth beneath its absurd surface. I went in expecting an absurdist comedy, and instead got something I want to see a few more times to fully grasp. I can see this one ages very well on rewatches.
DeYoung’s direction weaves humour and unease, with a wintry suburban haze and Keegan DeWitt’s score amplifying the film’s immersive dread. The underground tunnel sequence, a surreal night of beers and bonding, lingers as a highlight, its chaotic joy spiralling into discomfort. The toad-venom trip, where Craig’s psychedelic meltdown lands him fixating on a sandwich order, is peak Robinson, wild, absurd, yet oddly relatable in its raw need for escape (I can't believe I finally saw representation on-screen of Subway’s footlong cookies). These set pieces showcase DeYoung’s knack for balancing ITYSL-style gags with psychological depth, making me very curious to see whatever he cooks up next.
Yet, the relentless cringe may alienate those unversed in Robinson’s comedy, and the tonal tightrope, veering from dark humour to social and existential dread can feel jarring, occasionally teetering into pretension for anyone craving straightforward laughs in the vein of ITYSL.
Is 'Friendship' worth watching?
Friendship is a wild, unsettling black-comedy, its balance of absurdist situations and intense dread making it a future cult staple. DeYoung, Robinson, and Rudd craft a film that’s as hilarious as it is uncomfortable, while also having something to say about male bonding and loneliness. Great mid-life crisis cinema.
Friendship is out now in cinemas
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