Comedies used to be rather popular at the box office. However, it’s been quite a while since a comedy (that’s not a superhero movie or action-comedy) has made a splash in theaters. Now, though, a comedy from A24 starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd titled Friendship has hit the big screen. Let’s see if it scratches that funny bone that Hollywood has been neglecting lately.

The Good

Friendship is absolutely hilarious. Tim Robinson’s sense of humor from I Think You Should Leave is all over this film in the best ways possible. It’s shockingly twisted and dark in areas while also never holding back from being a little silly. There’s plenty of situational humor, as well as intentionally awkward scenes that lead to big laughs from the audience. There is at least one moment in which they set up a cliché scene but used it to subvert expectations completely, making it a rather memorable and hysterical moment. There’s something about the protagonist just wearing a gigantic coat that’s even oddly funny.

It’s also a rather strange movie, but it’s clearly trying to be. It’s intentionally awkward to make the audience feel as uncomfortable as possible, and it succeeds and it somehow works to make it insanely entertaining. It focuses on using absurdism to form a unique sense of humor and to drive the plot in interesting and unique ways. It’s a dark comedy that’s filmed like an arthouse film and has the music of a horror flick. It’s rare to see something like this.

The performances are all terrific. Tim Robinson’s portrayal of the character of Craig allows audiences to feel bad for him and shake their head at him at the same time. His bizarre character is completely believable. Paul Rudd manages to be equally bizarre and believable. These two may carry the film, but Kate Mara and the rest of the cast are just as excellent and help immerse the audience into the bonkers situations that play out on screen.

The film is completely unpredictable. It’s almost impossible to guess where it’s going to go next. Everything escalates over time and gets crazier as everything progresses. This allows for quite a bit of suspense as well as riotous laughter when the audience is caught off guard. It also pulls the audience in quite a bit.

There may be a lot of surprises, but the foreshadowing is still handled expertly. If something is revealed in the first half of the film, it comes up in the latter half. How it comes back up is always a surprise, and it always feels organic. There’s never anything shoved in your face to be an obvious setup or a lazy callback. It’s all done exceptionally well.

The story serves as some rather smart commentary about human behavior, how some people view their relationships with those around them, and the need for being accepted by others. While the movie is both funny and sad, it’s also genuinely intriguing and thought-provoking. It showcases something meaningful that we can all relate to.

The Bad

There definitely needed to be more at the end to answer certain questions. Did Craig and his wife get back together? Does Austin actually now consider Craig a friend? Does Craig actually learn from his mistakes? Was Austin just hanging out with Craig to mess with him? It ends without answering some major parts of the plot. It’s likely the point so that the audience can make their own assumptions, but it still feels like something important is missing.

It’s fun to go through these wacky antics with Craig, but there’s no real character development for him. There’s no arc or growth. He doesn’t learn his lesson. He gets several comeuppances, and then the movie ends. The story has the audience rooting for him to grow and learn and end up in a happy place, but it never comes.

Conclusion

 It’s so good to see a comedy on the big screen again, and it’s even better that it’s one as unique as Friendship. It’s hilarious, dark, and captivating. It perfectly blends dumb and smart senses of humor while intentionally being awkward and uncomfortable. There are countless shocking moments that audiences will never see coming, and the film’s bizarre nature makes it a true spectacle. The character of Craig could be studied in college courses. The movie has some shortcomings that stem from that intentional discomfort, but it’s still a really fun time. If you want to laugh with a crowd, be sure to see this one in theaters.

Rating: 8.5/10