Friendship Explores Male Vulnerability, But Struggles to Find Its Voice

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd navigate awkward male bonding in A24’s emotionally offbeat Friendship.

“Not All Bromances Are Built to Last”

Andrew Young’s Friendship, the latest off-kilter entry from A24, tries to peel back the layers of male loneliness, entitlement, and emotional immaturity—but ends up exposing just how far many men have to go rather than offering any real catharsis. Starring the eerily compelling Tim Robinson as Craig, alongside Paul Rudd and Kate Mara, the film unfolds over the course of several weeks as Craig attempts to put his life back together through a series of stilted, well-meaning male bonding encounters.

Craig is a man stuck—emotionally, socially, and spiritually—after standing by his wife Tammy (Kate Mara) through a grueling battle with cancer. Their son Stephen (Jack Dylan Grazer) provides the emotional anchor of the film, while Craig fumbles his way through life post-trauma, looking for connection but too self-absorbed to realize how much of the damage is his own doing.

The film taps into a familiar, often frustrating truth: many men—particularly white, middle-aged, suburban men—were never taught how to take responsibility for their emotional needs. They were coddled, forgiven, and handed the benefit of the doubt again and again. And now? They’re isolated, unable to form meaningful relationships without centering their own grievances and failings.

Director Andrew Young seems to understand this dynamic, and there’s a brutal honesty in how he frames male friendship groups as both necessary and deeply flawed. One standout scene—a group of grown men sincerely singing along to a pop ballad during an emotional sharing circle—perfectly captures the blend of sincerity, absurdity, and discomfort that defines the film’s tone.

Paul Rudd, despite leaning into familiar territory that evokes his Anchorman persona, offers one of the film’s few glimmers of light. His presence, while not transformative, brings a momentary levity and warmth that cuts through the heaviness of the material. His character may feel familiar, but in a movie this emotionally claustrophobic, even that kind of familiarity can be welcome.

Friendship wants to show us that vulnerability among men matters—that connection is possible, even if awkward. And it does manage to surface some universal truths about loneliness and aging. But for every insightful moment, there’s a stretch of eye-rolling self-pity or offbeat dialogue that never quite lands.

What could’ve been a poignant or even refreshing look at modern masculinity instead too often feels like a slow burn with no resolution. Friendship holds up a mirror, but it doesn’t ask its characters—or audience—to do much more than stare into it. And maybe that’s part of the message. But as a viewing experience, it leans more sad than sharp.

Friendship captures the emotional drift and awkwardness of modern male bonding with uncomfortable precision. There are moments of wit and some solid performances, but ultimately, it settles into a familiar groove without pushing beyond it.

2 out of 5

STARRING

Tim Robinson, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Paul Rudd

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY

Andrew DeYoung