Do you remember that Simpsons episode where Homer becomes friends with Ned? After years of animosity they bond over tickets to a football game and Homer forms an obsessive bond with his neighbor. That’s the kind of energy that the trailer for A24’s “Friendship” gives off. And we are all in on this movie.
If there’s one reason more than others that we’re down for this film, it’s because of Tim Robinson. If you’re not familiar with the name, you’re missing out. The writer, actor, and comedian has been in a number of projects, yet still isn’t quite a household name. His time on SNL brought us one of the most memorable sketches of all time in “Roundball Rock”, and his short-lived sitcom “Detroiters” has become a cult classic. Robinson is perhaps most well-known now for his sketch comedy show, “I Think You Should Leave.” Many of his characters have a bizarre neurotic energy to them with heavy amounts of dark humor, and he brings all of that to the table in this trailer.
The movie is written and directed Andrew DeYoung in his directorial debut. He pits Robinson’s socially awkward shyness against Paul Rudd and his characters’ effervescent charm and popularity. As one could predict, these two opposites do not attract, and when Rudd cuts off the friendship, things go horribly awry. What follows in the film’s preview look like things directly from a horror movie with screaming, jumping through windows, and a rampaging automobile.
All of that is just a well-played joke on the audience. This isn’t a horror movie by any stretch. From reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), it’s definitively a comedy. A cringe comedy. Some critics have actually compared it to Robinson’s sketch work, so it’ll be interesting to see how much of this was scripted by DeYoung and how much he let Robinson bring into the role.
This has all the makings of a must watch black comedy. The movie hits theaters in May, 2025.
