LOS ANGELES, May 5 (UPI) -- It makes sense that I Think You Should Leave creator and star Tim Robinson's first starring movie is from arthouse studio A24. Friendship, in theaters Friday, captures Robinson's unique sketch comedy aesthetic and makes it work as a coherent film.
Robinson stars as Craig, a man who befriends his neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd) when he returns a misdelivered package. The friendship opens Craig's world to new experiences and the benefits of relationships.
This rapport is cut short after Craig behaves inappropriately in front of Austin's other friends and at Austin's workplace, leading Austin to tell Craig he doesn't want to be friends anymore. Austin ending the relationship only sets Craig off further.
Even before Craig ruins the friendship in an over the top way, his behavior with his family and at work is awkward in the distinct way that led to classic sketches from I Think You Should Leave, including "Coffin Flop" and the Hot Dog Car Crash.
The way Craig interrupts his wife Tami (Kate Mara) with reassurances as she speaks at a cancer support group is the definition of "cringe comedy," because it is clearly not the time. At work, he fills his coffee cup right to the top and walks slowly to the meeting to avoid spilling any.
The family dynamic has weirdness too, with Craig and Tami's son Sammie (Jack Dylan Grazer) showing more affection toward his mother than is appropriate. Craig drastically shifts from being goofy and awkward to screaming intensely, as Robinson often does on his sketch comedy show.
What makes these aspects work in a narrative film is that writer/director Andrew DeYoung tracks the long term consequences of this behavior beyond six- or seven minute sketches.
Other movies about adult friendships have also gone in dark directions, such as The Cable Guy, or the relatable comedy I Love You, Man, also starring Rudd. Even more movies celebrate manchildren and reward the characters by not forcing them to grow up.
In Friendship, the world around Craig reacts appropriately to his inappropriate behavior. So whereas an Adam Sandler character, or Bill Murray before him, would endear himself to the audience, Craig just digs himself deeper and deeper.
Austin seems like an idealized fantasy at first, although it becomes clear that may just be Craig's imagination. But, Austin shows Craig activities he's never known before, and accepts Craig's quirks like buying all his clothes from the same obscure retailer, or Craig's random nosebleeds.
Austin's other friends are not so patient, and the reaction of Austin's wife, Bianca (Meredith Garretson), shows she wants Craig to leave. That's Robinson's whole vibe, hence the name of his show.
There is room in the story for sketch-like scenes. Many comedies have subplots about the protagonist needing to make an important pitch at work to win the big client, but in this movie that presentation becomes a classic Robinson overreaction.
Craig creates just as many problems for himself by trying to recreate his activities with Austin but solo. Craig's attempts to be whimsical take very dark turns, and Tami expresses what it's like to be married to a person like him.
DeYoung seeds the film with a number of recurring gags that get funnier every time they're called back, including Craig's favorite clothing line, a themed meal at a local restaurant, and his obsession with avoiding Marvel spoilers.
A lot of movies starring Rudd have the characters sing retro pop music, like in Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Friendship is no exception. The choice for the group sing-along in the film is impeccable.
The path from sketch comedy to movies is fraught and takes the right match of comic personality to material. A world of more Tim Robinson vehicles in between seasons of I Think You Should Leave would be pleasing indeed.
Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.
