I am so mad at myself for missing Friendship at TIFF last fall, but it didn’t fit into my schedule. I have never quite forgiven myself for that, though, not least because the film went on to be named second runner-up for TIFF’s Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award, which basically means a bunch of sleep-deprived maniacs enjoyed this film. Watching the trailer that dropped yesterday, I can see why.
Friendship stars Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson—who is the top-tier comedic genius of our time, argue with a wall—as a couple of neighbors who become pals and then…not pals. The trailer plays like a sketch from I Think You Should Leave, Robinson’s perfect sketch comedy show on Netflix, with Robinson starring as Craig, a middle-aged man with no friends, who tries to make friends. At first, he befriends his neighbor, Austin, played by Paul Rudd. The trailer sells this as a bromance, though the music choice and the uncomfortable closeups and slow zoom outs read more like domestic horror. And then, yeah, the worm turns.
When I watched this trailer I was thinking, This looks like ‘I Love You, Man’ for weirdos, and then bam, a pull quote from Indiewire pops up that says “‘I Love You, Man’ for sickos,” which comes from David Ehrlich’s review. Great minds! Or it’s just that Friendship is playing in the same pool as I Love You, Man, it’s just going the other way with the friendship.
I’m stoked for this movie, not least because I like Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd, nor because it looks funny, but also and very specifically because Conner O’Malley pops up for a second in the trailer, yelling at Tim Robinson. Conner O’Malley is a comedian whose work you’ve probably enjoyed without realizing it, via his writing gig with Seth Meyers. But he’s also popped up on comedy staples like The Chris Gethard Show, Broad City, and I Think You Should Leave, too, and his stand-up special, Stand Up Solutions, is unlike any other special I’ve seen in recent memory.
O’Malley works in a parallel lane to Robinson, which makes them excellent scene partners. Where Robinson excels at well-intentioned but hapless characters who get WAY in over their heads but will not give up or let up—every ITYSL sketch is premised on the idea of one person, usually but not always played by Robinson, committing so hard they ruin their life—O’Malley’s characters are best described as unstoppable anger monsters. Few performers do “angry” as funnily as Conner O’Malley. As soon as he turned up shouting at Robinson, I knew Friendship is for me. And maybe you, too!
I missed Friendship at TIFF, but I will make damn sure to see it this summer.
