Why Can't We Be Friends?
Friendship is one of the most horrifying films of the year
Tim Robinson has made a name for himself. A one-time SNL writer who was too unique for the sterile environment, he struck gold when Netflix picked up his sketch comedy show I Think You Should Leave.
I tried and found it repulsive. I have since seen a few sketches that connected with me, but overall that brand of mockery always seems to find an audience with its targets. I have seen too many awful white men quote similar comedians without a trace of irony.
Suffice to say, I am not a fan even if I can respect the artist.
Paul Rudd is an actor I’ve found to be bland in most things, coasting on charisma and a nice guy persona. He has standout moments—notably the stoned surfer in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the down on his luck everyman in Role Models—but most roles are forgettable for me.
So when the trailer for Friendship came out, it would be easy to think I was disinterested. Quite the opposite. An A24 arthouse thriller told from the perspective of a boorish, white man. Sure, it is played for laughs. So was Kevin Can Fuck Himself. These men are so oblivious that they do have moments that are genuinely hilarious. It’s how they ingratiate themselves to people.
Tim Robinson plays Craig Waterman, a marketing executive with a wife and kid in small town Colorado. He is oblivious to the disdain of the people in his life. His co-workers mock him under their breath. His wife Tami (Kate Mara) alludes to her affair with her ex and mocks him to his face. His son is embarrassed to be in the same space.
He spends every night in the same chair, talking about banal topics and refusing to engage with anything meaningful. All that changes with a fated interaction with local weatherman Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd). Austin is cool and kind, he has unique hobbies (playing in a band and foraging for mushrooms) and takes an interest in Craig.
Austin finds Craig’s boorish behavior funny, but harmless. And Craig does seem to be that way. He looks adoringly at Austin every time they interact. Craig also starts to take care of himself and make an effort with his wife and kid. They are both surprised to wake up to Craig having made breakfast using mushrooms he had foraged with Austin.
Just having someone believe in him was enough. That is, of course, until Austin invites Craig to a small party at his house to celebrate Austin’s promotion at work. Craig had encouraged Austin to put himself out there for the daytime weatherman and he got the job.
When he takes a phone call during the party, Craig fails to see that the sliding glass door is closed and he walks into it. The collision causes the glass to break and Craig asks the group nonchalantly how they all met. Cue a huge laugh and some bonding. Craig is elated to find a group of guys that seem to accept him.
Later that night, Craig sees an opportunity to impress the group of men, unaware that he didn’t need to. He was already a part of the group. When the group set up an impromptu boxing ring in the garage, Craig gets taken down by two direct shots to the face. When Austin tries to salvage the situation, Craig lands two cheap shots earning the ire of the group.
Instead of apologizing, Craig grabs a bar of soap and does a ridiculously garish non-apology. He takes no accountability and everyone leaves disgusted. The party is ruined and Craig is ostracized. Austin tells Craig that maybe this friendship isn’t going to work out.
From here, the movie devolves into a string of Craig terrorizing Austin and his family through his oblivious manner. Craig doesn’t understand what he’s done wrong and instead of apologizing or accepting that he had poisoned the relationship, he shows up at Austin’s job. Breaks into the house when he has a package to drop off and no one answers the door.
By the time the movie reaches its climax, Craig has gone so far off the rails he can’t embrace a chance at a fresh start on life. He is so consumed by jealousy and obsession that he self-sabotages at every turn. Rudd does an outstanding job at conveying the terror Austin is facing. Between the stress of his new job and a loose cannon at his doorstep, you can see him age as the film progresses.
Robinson is also excellent, although his performance does dip into the cartoonish at times. His flips from congenial to outbursts of anger are terrifying and real. I’ve known that man many times, at my worst I’ve been that man. So desperate to be liked but unwilling to be likeable. The best bits of comedy come from dramatic irony. We know the results of his actions before he does, because we’ve seen that behavior before.
What elevates this film for me is that Craig stays human throughout the movie. He’s a villain, but we never lose sight of the person underneath. When his actions escalate, we can see how and why they happened. They aren’t a surprise. Tragedies that spring from white male alienation are all too common. Craig is the embodiment of toxic masculinity and the “peaked in high school” people who are so desperate for external validation.
Putting the film in his perspective makes this feel more like Taxi Driver than The Cable Guy. I hate what Craig Waterman represents, but I also love that I understood how he got where he was. I don’t know that I’ll be on board for the next Robinson lead affair, but I am glad I was here for this one.