It was just a matter of time before a cinematic vehicle came along for Tim Robinson’s signature brand of absurd, awkward, quotable and often uncomfortable comedy.

Robinson has cultivated a loyal fanbase through the very memeable Netflix sketch comedy series I Think You Should Leave, and Friendship is so in sync with his comedic stylings, I was shocked to learn he didn’t write or at least co-write this.

Having him co-lead this two-hander with Paul Rudd is perfect – their diametrically opposed comedic stylings pair wonderfully and their chemistry is undeniable.

Craig Waterman, played by Robinson, is a character fans of I Think You Should Leave are well acquainted with: dull, impotent, outrageously self-sabotaging, and perpetually frustrated by his own shortcomings.

Rudd’s character, Austin Carmichael, is a suave, moustachioed TV news weatherman (a fun nod to Brian Fantana), who moves in up the street and takes a liking to Waterman, despite the gaping chasm in charisma and coolness.

Kate Mara gives a wonderful straight performance opposite Robinson as Waterman’s ever-distant wife Tami. It’s absurd that a guy like Craig could find himself with such an eligible woman, and the film is well aware of that.

Friendship strikes the balance of having a host of comedic set pieces that could easily be I Think You Should Leave sketches while maintaining the integrity, arc, and structure of a feature film.

With the sub-genre of 2000s pure, silly comedies now long dormant, it’s wonderful to see something like this get made in 2025.

In the first act, I thought to myself this could be a seminal comedy I’d own on physical media and quote endlessly, but as it progressed, becoming darker and more challenging, resembling The Cable Guy more than Anchorman.

I felt the tonal shift after the first act leaned too heavily into the discomfort, largely abandoning the rapid-fire, easily palatable comedic moments and jokes that had the modest crowd in my screening laughing uproariously.

Writer and director Andrew DeYoung makes the very deliberate choice to shoot almost exclusively in either very tight close-ups or creepy surveillance-style shots that observe characters unknowingly in their habitats.

This complements the microcosmic suburban world Friendship occupies, making it very claustrophobic and further emphasising the painfully awkward cringe comedy Robinson thrives in.

Verdict: A very funny effort that plays beautifully into Robinson and Rudd’s comedic strengths, but is ultimately too uncomfortable to become a rewatchable comedy classic. 3.5 stars.