'Friendship' is the Funniest Tragedy of the Year
A lot of reviews are calling this movie hilarious. And you know what? They're not wrong. But more than laughing, you'll find yourself continually gasping at the sheer amount of insanity that is in this picture. Friendship is a dark comedy about the consequences that happen when you don't get the proper healthcare needed for your mind. The story follows the path of a guy who simply lacks proper social skills, who is also a narcissist, wanting to always be the center of attention. We all know that guy. He's the one who comes to the party, hijacking every conversation. It's a fascinating character study revolving around the tragedy of a man who never got the help he needed.
This movie centers around a crazy person who's insufferable to watch, yet that's the whole point of his character. Tim Robinson does an incredible job of bringing Craig to life. He's a loud, spaztic, hyperactive, irresponsible psychopath who desperately needs medication. When we first see him, he's in some sort of meeting that looks like it could be an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) get-together. Instead, it's a nondescript support group where Craig's wife, Tami (Kate Mara), reveals she's been cancer-free for 12 months. Little does she know that Craig will become a cancer to her. There's a great joke in the meeting where Tami says she's been having trouble orgasming, and Craig rebuttles, "I orgasm just fine."
We then cut to the arrival of the new neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd) is a fun neighbor. Austin's forwardness, however, proves to be too much of a welcome invitation. One scene that seemed a bit odd is when Austin calls up Craig while he's in the middle of work, asking him if he wants to immediately hang out. Craig accepts the offer, ditching his job in the middle of the day in front of all his co-workers. How could he do that? Wouldn't he be fired or reprimanded for leaving work so abruptly? Soon, Craig does the same thing to Austin, but it deeply upsets Austin when Craig shows up to his job while he's in the middle of his morning meteorology report for the local news station. That's an odd thing to get mad over when Austin initiated the professional intrusiveness.
Shortly thereafter, things begin to go completely off the rails, as Craig goes from a mental breakdown to more subsequent meltdowns. It's a cascading avalanche of embarrassing catastrophes that self-destructs Craig's life. After a weird hangout with Austin's friends, where Craig makes everyone feel extremely uncomfortable, Austin decides to give Craig the bad news that he doesn't want to be his friend anymore. Being rejected causes Craig to harass Austin, crossing many ethical and legal barriers not only to Austin, but at his job and family life as well.
The film works so well because it leaves us (or maybe just me) feeling conflicted about Craig. The man means well, but he clearly suffers from some sort of mental illness, where he simply doesn't know how to talk to people. When Craig begins to explode in spectacular fashion, I felt horrible for him, but also despised him. He's a simple man with extremely complicated mental deficiencies that have gone unchecked thanks to a neglectful society. Subconsciously, he's screaming for help. People could assist Craig, but they don't know how. They just toss him out as soon as they discover how nuts he is.
It's a telling sign of how people treat each other. If Austin had tolerated Craig rather than throwing him away, maybe he would have been okay. It's especially hypocritical that Austin invades Craig at his job, then freaks out when Craig does the same thing. But that's people. They fail each other. We separate into our little tribes, ostracizing those who might be different. Instead of helping each other, we push each other away, causing unintended consequences that are indeed our fault. Just look at how politics has made Americans enemies out of each other instead of listening to each other. It's the same thing here.
In a bit of a role reversal, Paul Rudd plays a nice guy who turns out to be your typical fake polite person. Austin is welcoming, but also a phony. His hair isn't real, which is a bit of a joke about Mr. Rudd's agelessness. There are also Marvel references in the film, where Craig freaks out when anyone spoils a Marvel flick. An ironic joke considering Ant-Man is in this movie. Friendship's dark humor, mixed with its social commentary on society's tribalism, diffusing mental health, is a brilliant, funny, yet depressing cautionary tale on why humans should show more tolerance and compassion instead of sticking with their little cliques. It's the descent of a man giving in to his darkness out of despair, destroying everything he loves. Prepare to clutch your pearls and think about those who need a friend, even if you don't want to hang out with them. You might save a life.
