Once upon a time, I called A24 the most inconsistent production studio in the business. In 2025, I’m ready to upgrade that to one of the worst.
It’s not that A24 can’t make a good film—gems like Hereditary prove they can—but eight times out of ten, they churn out pretentious duds like Friendship, the latest cinematic misfire from Tim Robinson. I’m a huge fan of Robinson’s work on Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, where his manic energy and absurd humor shine.
Pair him with Paul Rudd, a comedic everyman with a knack for charm, and you’d think Friendship might deliver. I was wrong. Dead wrong. Friendship is a soul-crushing slog, rivaling the misery of 2020’s Downhill—and that’s saying something. The film follows Craig (Robinson), a bland white-collar drone trapped in a joyless marriage with Tami (Kate Mara).
Tami, fresh off beating cancer, realizes she’s miserable with her life—mostly because of Craig. Enter Austin Carmichael (Rudd), a chipper local meteorologist who becomes Craig’s new neighbor after a mail mix-up. The two hit it off, and Craig finds more joy in his bromance with Austin than in his crumbling marriage. But Craig, a social novice, quickly overstays his welcome, turning into a clingy nuisance who alienates everyone around him.
What starts as a quirky comedy about male friendship veers into full-blown misery porn, a bleak parade of despair that somehow forgets to include a brutal suicide as its finale. This isn’t just a bait-and-switch; it’s cinematic fraud. Friendship is the most disingenuous movie of 2025, a cringe-inducing slog that’s not even bad in a fun way.
The first 20 minutes tease a lighthearted buddy comedy, with Robinson’s awkward charm and Rudd’s effortless charisma setting a playful tone. Then the film nosedives into nihilistic depression masquerading as humor for an agonizing hour and a half. Hollywood loves crafting unlikable, irredeemable characters, but Friendship takes it to a new low.
Every single person—Craig, Tami, Austin—is so detestable you’ll forget who you’re supposed to root for. By the end, you’re just praying for the credits to roll so you can escape this joyless void.The film shares an uncanny resemblance to 2020’s Downhill, which tricked audiences into expecting a Will Ferrell laugh-fest only to deliver a bleak family drama.
Like Downhill, Friendship misleads with its marketing, promising quirky comedy but serving up unrelenting gloom. The only reason to watch is for Robinson and Rudd, both capable of comedic brilliance with the right material. Here, they’re stranded, their talents wasted on a script so soulless it feels like it was spat out by a malfunctioning AI.
Robinson’s manic energy is dulled into whiny desperation, and Rudd’s charm can’t save a character who turns insufferable by act two.A24’s fingerprints are all over this mess. Their obsession with “edgy” narratives often sacrifices coherence for pretension, and Friendship is a prime example. Directed by some nobody who clearly didn’t know what to do with this cast, the film’s pacing is glacial, its visuals are as drab as Craig’s life, and the score sounds like it was ripped from a therapy waiting room.
Shot in 2024 on a shoestring budget—likely to pad A24’s indie cred—the production feels cheap, with flat lighting and sets that scream “we blew the budget on Rudd’s paycheck.” The script tries to grapple with themes of loneliness and toxic masculinity but fumbles them so badly it’s like watching a TED Talk written by a Reddit thread.In a year already bleak for cinema, Friendship is a black pill for moviegoers.
It’s not just a bad film; it’s a betrayal of its cast’s potential and its audience’s trust. A24 keeps swinging for profound and landing on insufferable, and this movie is their latest strikeout. You’ll walk away feeling nothing but regret for the time spent and dread for the future of film.
If you want Robinson and Rudd at their best, binge I Think You Should Leave or Ant–Man. Friendship isn’t just a miss; it’s a grim reminder that even A24’s hot streak has gone cold. Save your sanity and skip this one.
Society Reviews 
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