A24’s upcoming comedy movie Friendship promises a tense yet hilarious look at a relationship gone sour. Friendship stars Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson as new neighbors, Austin and Craig, who quickly become friends, only for Austin to admit that he no longer wants to hang out with Craig. Friendship sees Craig quickly begin to spiral following the loss of someone he considered to be his best friend, resulting in more and more unhinged behavior as the comedy film progresses.
Ahead of its May 9, 2025, release, Friendship has received positive reviews that highlight Rudd and Robinson’s performances, which constantly create tension without going too far over the edge into pure horror. The movie is just the most recent in A24’s impressive comedy lineup. The friendship break-up is depicted by the two men is both difficult to watch but feels poignant and relatable, even when Craig’s behavior goes too far. While Friendship‘s topic is an unusual but funny one to see onscreen, there are a few movies that are perfect to watch before the tense new comedy.
5
Brother Nature
Tim Robinson’s First Film Is A Good Introduction
Brother Nature was Tim Robinson’s first movie, and though he is not a main character, his appearance in the 2016 comedic film is a perfect introduction to his work for those unfamiliar. The movie centers on Roger Fellner, an average guy who is ready to propose to his girlfriend. However, as he spends time with her family during a vacation, their behavior, particularly that of her unusual brother, make him question his decision.
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Tim Robinson is undeniably more known for his comedy roles on TV than in film, particularly his shows I Think You Should Leave and Detroiters. Robinson also worked on Saturday Night Live throughout the mid-2010s. While he may not have the starring role, Brother Nature does have similar funny and uncomfortable moments that audiences can find in Friendship.
4
The Lighthouse
The A24 Horror Has Some Unexpected Similarities To Friendship
A24 has built itself a very strong reputation among movie lovers for the number of phenomenal independent films the company has distributed over the past decade, and The Lighthouse is one of A24’s best films. The movie is often characterized as a horror film thanks to its disturbing visuals, unsettling, unstable characters, and dark ending, but it actually has an unexpected amount in common with Friendship.
Like Craig and Austin, Robert Pattinson’s Winslow develops an unhealthy obsession with Willem Dafoe’s Wake, struggling to make sense of his harsh actions and words.
Beyond both being distributed by A24, The Lighthouse and Friendship both explore a growingly unhealthy relationship between two men. Like Craig and Austin, Robert Pattinson’s Winslow develops an unhealthy obsession with Willem Dafoe’s Wake, struggling to make sense of his harsh actions and words. Likewise, though The Lighthouse is far more disturbing than Friendship, it does have moments of absurd humor that help balance the film a bit. Overall, it is one of A24’s most memorable films and is definitely worth a watch.
3
The Banshees of Inisherin
Another Harsh Friendship Break-Up
Martin McDonagh’s 2022 drama film, The Banshees of Inisherin, a great movie to check out before Friendship because the two films have very similar concepts despite those being executed in different ways. The Banshees of Inisherin centers on two men who have been friends for their whole lives when one of them suddenly decides that he does not want to see the other anymore. The movie follows the fallout from Colm ending his friendship with Padraic, as Padraic grapples with his new loneliness and growing realization that things cannot be fixed.
The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the best movies of recent years, and its portrayal of the relationship between its two main characters is both incredibly sad, yet often very funny. Both Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are great in their roles. Friendship chooses to take Craig on a similar (if not more desperate and cringe-worthy) journey through the end of his friendship to Farrell’s Padraic as both men deal with the loss of one of their most significant relationships.
2
Dream Scenario
The Nicolas Cage Film Is Both Funny And Horrifying
2023’s Dream Scenario is another one of A24’s highly-rated comedy films. In fact, both Dream Scenario and Friendship currently hold a 91% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, showing just how well many of A24’s comedies fare. Despite having entirely different plots, Dream Scenario and Friendship are surprisingly tonally similar. Both are hilariously funny at times, but they each have a lot of uncomfortable moments that audiences want to shy away from but can’t.
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Dream Scenario follows a fairly boring professor named Paul Matthews who inexplicably begins appearing in people’s dreams. While the dreams are harmless at first and Paul gains a level of celebrity, the dream versions of Paul quickly become violent causing people to become scared. Dream Scenario has moments of creative, unexpected humor, but it has an equal number in which Paul is very difficult to sympathize with, much like Craig in Friendship, toeing the line between funny and horrifying.
1
I Love You, Man
Friendship Flips Rudd Role In His Older Film
Paul Rudd’s 2009 buddy comedy I Love You, Man has some clear similarities to Friendship and features hilarious moments throughout. I Love You, Man sees Rudd star alongside Rashida Jones and Jason Segel as a man preparing for his wedding but in search of a fitting best man. As Rudd’s Peter Klaven has no real male friends, he decides to befriend Segel’s Sydney Fife, creating strain in his relationship with his fiancee Zooey as his attention turns away from her.
The two men play well off each other and I Love You, Man is very easy to watch and enjoy.
Rudd and Segel’s dynamic is cute, funny, and incredibly entertaining. The two men play well off each other and I Love You, Man is very easy to watch and enjoy. While Friendship does add a bit for tension to the mix in Rudd’s Austin calling off his relationship with Robinson’s Craig, the film as a whole includes some plot and comedic similarities to I Love You, Man that make them the perfect pair.
7/10
- Release Date
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May 9, 2025
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Andrew DeYoung
- Producers
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Paul Rudd, Nick Weidenfeld, J.D. Lifshitz, Johnny Holland, Raphael Margules, Alexis Garcia
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Tim Robinson
Craig Waterman
