Friendship is a Stressful New Comedy

A24

3.5/5 stars

The term "cringe comedy" was popularized with shows like The Office, whose humor was based around how awkward and uncomfortable a clueless person can make a situation. But Tim Robinson of I Think You Should Leave fame proves that he is the master of comedic awkwardness in Andrew DeYoung's Friendship, a comedy that has more nerve-wracking tension than most horror movies and one that's written and performed strongly enough to excuse some of the more absurd flights of fancy.

Craig (Robinson) is a suburban dad living an unassuming, mundane life, but things turn after a chance encounter with his neighbor – a cool, charismatic TV weatherman named Austin (Paul Rudd). At the insistence of his wife (Kate Mara), Craig joins Austin and his friends for a casual get-together. The night ends badly for Craig but he finds himself obsessed with Austin's life and his attempts to insert himself into Austin's circle turn increasingly desperate.

The film, first and foremost, is a very funny look at a control freak unable to maintain control, but in this case, the character is so ridiculously impotent that his attempts become funny rather than terrifying. Unfortunately, the story, which is mostly grounded in reality, takes occasional fantastical turns that strain credibility even for a film this outlandish. However, the smart writing and strong performances are more than enough to keep audiences engaged. It's rare to see a comedy of this type on the big screen anymore, and Friendship looks to have the makings of a new classic in the genre.

Written and directed by Andrew DeYoung // Starring Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Glazer, Rick Worthy, Whitmer Thomas, Daniel London, Eric Rahill, Jacob Ming-Trent, Billy Byrk, Meredith Garretson, Ari Dalbert, and Alex Webb // A24 // 100 minutes // Rated R