Friendship- 2025 Chicago Critics Film Festival
May 14th, 2025
MOVIE: FRIENDSHIP
STARRING: TIM ROBINSON, PAUL RUDD, KATE MARA, JACK DYLAN GRAZER
DIRECTED BY: ANDREW DEYOUNG
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 100 MINUTES
The Tenacious D song Friendship proclaims, “Friendship is rare. Do you know what I’m saying to you? Friendship is rare.” For men, friendship can indeed become a rarity, especially in a world where spouses, children, careers, and hobbies often take center stage. As life fills up, making new friends becomes not just difficult, but almost absurd. Writer/director Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship leans into that absurdity, with the unhinged comedic genius of Tim Robinson front and center in a hilarious, cringeworthy exploration of just how hard it is to connect. Friendship is proof that it’s still okay to laugh at someone who simply can’t get anything right.
Our protagonist is Craig (Robinson), a 40-something suburban dad living with his wife Tami (Kate Mara) and his often too-busy teenage son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). His most notable achievements are getting speed bumps installed in the neighborhood and being a dependable cog at a marketing firm. When a misdelivered package brings him face-to-face with his cool, charismatic neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd), Craig is immediately smitten—in the friendliest, yet most desperate way possible. What follows is a cascade of awkward, painfully funny encounters as Craig tries—and fails—to forge a connection, unraveling his life in the process.
Friendship won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re familiar with Robinson’s style from Detroiters or I Think You Should Leave, you’ll know exactly what kind of ride you’re in for. And that ride is packed with gut-busting laughs. The best way to describe the film might be as a reverse Cable Guy: instead of the obsessive friend destroying a regular guy’s life, here the regular guy destroys his own life by trying way too hard to be liked.
Watching Robinson work is a thing of beauty. He contorts his face into a symphony of emotions—pride, embarrassment, joy, and total cluelessness. DeYoung expertly builds the film around him, crafting a world where other men are just as embarrassing—singing heartfelt songs to each other, fighting in boxing gloves—yet somehow only Craig gets scolded while everyone else’s antics are seen as endearing. It’s an ironic and hilarious double standard that only makes Craig’s descent more tragic—and funnier.
Friendship is easily one of the best comedies of 2025 and a welcome reminder that it’s okay to laugh, even at life’s most ridiculous moments. DeYoung and his cast get it: life is absurd. Whether it’s Craig constantly talking about “seeing that new Marvel,” daydreaming about drumming in Austin’s band, or just trying way too hard in every social interaction, the film captures a deeply human—and deeply funny—truth. Friendship is a tour de force of absurd comedy, perfectly suited for our times. And like the song says, friendship is rare. So when you find a film like this, hold on to it.
3 ½ STARS
FRIENDSHIP IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS MAY 16TH AND IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE FRIDAY, MAY 23RD, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
