FRIENDSHIP: Cringey Craig

FRIENDSHIP (Blu-ray)

2024/ 101 min

A24 Films

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Regarding the relationship depicted in Friendship, I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum. When we were kids, my next door neighbor was cooler and more confident than me. Eager to be his friend - if only out of proximity - I tried to act and speak more like him, but being kind of a nerd, was pretty clueless of what constituted cool. We did become friends, but only as neighbors. At school around his other peers, I think he was embarrassed to know me.

Years later in college, there was a group of friends I typically hung out with when not in class (when I actually went, anyway). One of them got a new roommate, Mike, who was obnoxiously loud and followed us everywhere, overcompensating in his efforts to be one of the guys, but socially clueless. While he was a great source of amusement at his own expense (especially when he drank), I often felt secondhand embarrassment.

But neither me nor Mike hold a candle to Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson). Not only is he socially awkward, Craig is abrasive, something of a narcissist and pretty-much unable to read the room. Even as his unhappy wife recovers from cancer, he still manages to make everything about himself. Then he meets freewheeling new neighbor Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a weatherman who also plays in a rock band. Austin seems to be everything Craig is not…laid-back, charming and adventurous. 

Still, they strike up an unlikely friendship after an evening of drinks and mischief. But it very quickly goes south when Austin invites Craig to a party to meet his other friends. Not only does Craig make a fool of himself, he takes a playful sparring match too far, then exacerbates the situation so badly that he drives everyone away. The next day, Austin tells Craig that he no longer wants to pursue this friendship.

"I'll be re-gifting this for sure."

Craig tries to compensate losing his only friend by having his wife and teenage son fill the sudden void in his life, forcing them to partake in activities Austin introduced him to. His obsession with being more like Austin adversely affects his marriage, job and eventually lands him in jail for a night. Craig’s also fixated on Austin himself, which is amusingly cringeworthy at first, but becomes more unnerving as the narrative unfolds. Throughout the film, he says the wrong things at the worst moments and engages in actions that might have the audience saying, “No, please don’t do what I think you’re gonna do.”

In a way, Friendship does its job almost too well. Craig is a terrible human being, and just when we might begin to sympathize with him, he says or does something so awful (or sociopathic) that we can’t stand being around him anymore. The movie has its share of funny moments, but just as many that are uncomfortable. But like witnessing a terrible car crash, it’s hard to look the other way. And admittedly, watching Craig’s escalating behavior as his life unravels around him is morbidly fascinating.

Robinson and Rudd are great in the lead roles, especially the former. In the very first scene, he establishes Craig’s entire personality with just a few lines of dialogue. And speaking of which, writer-director Andrew DeYoung has created characters who look and feel authentic, while effectively conveying what it’s like to be in a toxic relationship (not just the one between Austin & Craig). Friendship isn’t always a “funny” film, but since most of us have probably known someone like Craig, it might be relatable.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MEN TALKING IN THE DARK - A Q&A session featuring writer-director Andrew DeYoung, actors Tim Robinson & Paul Rudd.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer-director Andrew DeYoung, actor Conner O’Malley, cinematographer Andy Rydzewski.

EXTENDED GARAGE SCENE

6 BEHIND-THE-SCENES POSTCARDS