Director and screenwriter Andrew DeYoung has worked on many odd comedy TV series, including "The Other Two" (2019-2023), "PEN15" (2019-2021), and "Our Flag Means Death" (2022-2023) all as a director. Now Andrew DeYoung has written and directed his first feature-length film called "Friendship" playing in select movie theaters today.
"Friendship" is a dark comedy about a boring suburban dad who meets a new neighbor and quickly becomes infatuated with this charismatic man (Paul Rudd, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," 2024). Tim Robinson ("Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers," 2022) plays the boring dad and shines brightly with his singular style of random, wacky, verbally energetic humor. Watching Tim Robinson reminds me of the frenetic passion of a teenage boy who doesn't know how to regulate his emotions.
He knows most boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate.....but sometimes he can't help himself. You can see more of Tim Robinson's unpredictable performances in the variety TV show, "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson" which ran for three seasons between 2019 and 2023 and is available on Netflix.
Centered on the lives of straight white men and their relationships with each other sounds like the perfect idea for an impotent uninspired story nobody wants. But "Friendship" is not that kind of story. It's a domestic comedy of manners about how it feels to make friends and the criminal consequences that can happen when you're excluded from them.
I had an absolutely terrific time watching this one. It isn't a hilarious romp of adults behaving badly like the "Grown Ups" films (2010/2013), "Horrible Bosses" (2011/2014), or "There's Something About Mary" (1998). But it is funny and defiantly awkward.
What makes "Friendship" such a delight is that it actually has something to say (unlike the previously mentioned comedy films). It isn't about shocking gross outs or adult men screaming. When someone is on the outside looking in, feeling the desperate need to be included, anything can happen (from boxing fights to burglary to jail).
This film was inspired from the director/screenwriter's own experience getting ostracized out of a friend group, which is probably why "Friendship" feels so authentically relatable. And with a more mainstream piece of entertainment like this, let's hope Tim Robinson gains more recognition for his unique talents. Let's also hope this film inspires more actors, ones better known for their juvenile comedy attempts, to try growing up a little in their future film roles.
