Latest news with #IThinkYouShouldLeave
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd's Friendship is a laugh-out-loud comedy masterclass
Forming new friendships as a middle-aged man is notoriously difficult, even when the men in question have a lot in common. In Friendship, we have two very different budding buddies. Craig (Tim Robinson) is a loudmouth, socially inept, and infuriatingly unaware of the fact that he's not witty, smart, or remotely pleasant to be around. Somehow, he is both dull and wildly unpredictable in his behaviour. Craig's wife, Tami (Kate Mara), is the picture of elegance. She is in post-cancer recovery and clearly considering rekindling a relationship with an old flame. Craig is completely oblivious to this. Tami persuades a reluctant Craig to hang out with their new neighbour, Austin (Paul Rudd). On the surface, Austin is the polar opposite of Craig - suave, charming, philosophical, and cool. Austin is a weatherman frontman of a band, making him a well-liked local celebrity. The two at first seem to bond, with Austin appearing indifferent to Craig's awkward and asinine remarks. Craig quickly becomes infatuated with Austin and his laid-back energy. Adoration sets in. However, after an uncomfortable night with Austin's friend group, Craig is devastated to be essentially "dumped" by Austin. Needless to say, Craig takes this in the worst possible way and refuses to let his cool new friend cut ties so easily. Fans of Tim Robinson's I Think You Should Leave will be happy to see familiar elements to Craig's character that overlap with characters in the Netflix sketch show - stubborn, socially clueless people who always say and do the wrong thing. That said, this is far from I Think You Should Leave: The Movie. Friendship exists in a much more grounded American indie-comedy world. Writer and director Andrew DeYoung has created the perfect vehicle for the comic skills Robinson has honed, one where he gets to explore the reality of his go-to I Think You Should Leave character archetype in a more naturalistic setting. This gives us the opportunity to see those skills stretch and evolve in ways a seven-minute sketch could never allow for. Robinson's unhinged energy works well with the effortless charm of Paul Rudd, whose character slowly moves from the most relaxed man in town to an anxious victim of his friend-turned-stalker. It's a formula that works. You could argue that the female characters do feel a little underwritten, Austin's wife is barely seen, and we never really learn why Tami is with Craig in the first place. Perhaps that's intentional; the film is largely told from Craig's point of view, and he is clearly oblivious to his wife's feelings or motivations and barely acknowledges Austin's marriage exists. With countless comic moments that land hard, Friendship isn't just the best comedy in cinemas this year, it's one of the funniest films of the decade. Some of the biggest comedic moments blindside the audience. A scene involving a "psychedelic trip" sets up what you think is going to be a tired comedy trope, only to deliver the film's best punchline. It's unpredictable without verging on the ridiculous. A hilarious character study of delusion, inadequacy, and neediness, painfully real and hugely entertaining. Hopefully, it marks the return of comedy to cinema screens.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd star in cringe comedy Friendship
Produced by indie darlings A24, Friendship is the debut starring role for Tim Robinson, best known for hit Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave. The show propelled the comedian to TikTok stardom, becoming the punchline of the viral 'I'm doing my part' meme and having catchphrases from the show enter social media vernacular. This week, he teams up with Marvel star Paul Rudd for the excruciatingly funny Friendship. Robinson plays Craig, a marketing executive whose lack of emotional availability means he is disconnected from his wife Tami (Kate Mara) and son Steve (Jack Dylan Grazer). His isolated life turns around, however, when he befriends Austin (Rudd), a charismatic weather man who has moved onto his street. Craig becomes energised by his new pal, but when his social awkwardness ruins the friendship, he becomes obsessed with winning Austin back. The film is a platform for Robinson's humour, with his misinterpretation of social cues and increasingly desperate behaviour leading to several moments that are both hilarious and cringe worthy in equal measure. What makes it more than a series of wacky antics, however, is an underlying theme of just how difficult it is to make friends as an adult. Every character in the story has some need to reconnect, and while Craig takes those insecurities to an extreme, there will be moments that will feel uncomfortably familiar. The intelligence of writer-director Andrew DeYoung's story lies in finding a degree of empathy to a man who clearly is the villain of his own story. With floppy hair, a thick moustache, and a TV news-centred job, Rudd's Austin feels like a modern riff on his Anchorman character Brian Fantana. There's no dodgy cologne this time, but his easy-going nature and free spirit make it easy to see why Craig would become so drawn to him. Considering that the Ant-Man star could be making any number of vanity projects with himself as the main attraction, it's a testament to his talent that he turns up in a smaller, but nonetheless impactful role. By contrast, Robinson is the epitome of chaos. It's a delight to see him make snap decisions that turn things from bad to worse in a second. His reaction during a sequence where Craig goes on an uneventful drug trip, or finally snaps at his corporate job, are worth the price of admission alone. There's always a concern that someone known for shorter content can expand their comedy to a feature length without exhausting the audience – happily Robinson has no such trouble, slotting his off-kilter persona into a character that feels like a nightmarish satire of the male loneliness epidemic. If you've ever cracked a bad joke at a party, or persevered with a friendship that just wasn't going anywhere, then this off-the-wall comedy with strike a chord as it makes you squirm in your seat. A fine showcase for a growing comedy great. •
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Comedian takes centre stage
Friendship gets an uncomfortably funny examination in director Andrew DeYoung's new movie. Filmmaker Andrew DeYoung didn't initially set out to make a Tim Robinson film, but that's what ended up happening. The writer and director, who has helmed episodes of TV's Pen15 and Our Flag Means Death , makes his feature film debut with Friendship , starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson as two men whose bromance sours quickly. While the movie plays out like an extended I Think You Should Leave sketch, DeYoung is not a member of the show's creative team and had never worked with Robinson before Friendship . DeYoung talks about how the movie came to be and how it came to be so Tim Robinson-esque in style and execution. Q I'm interested in the nature of the movie, because it seems like it's such a Tim Robinson project. Was it written as such, with Tim Robinson in mind? A It started off as just a regular movie idea. As I started to write it, I of course started to imagine who could possibly play these roles and Tim popped in my head probably halfway through the process. I loved the idea so much and it felt so right, that I started to kind of write it toward his strengths, never knowing if he would do it or not. But it just helped me picture the character, as if he was doing it and thankfully it worked out. Q Once he came on board, did you work with him to mould the character, or was it your words on the page and then his performance? Because it screams Tim Robinson and his very specific style of humour. What was your collaboration like? A Tim is Tim and I think people would say that no matter what he does, just because he's so unique in his performances and his performance choices. But he, of course, would have ideas to pitch and I love collaboration. On shooting days, if things weren't working, we'd do alts on certain lines and things like that. But the structure and how the team moved and played, that was on the page. Q How is Tim as a collaboratorand how was he to work with throughout the process of making the movie? A I've never worked with anyone who cares as much as he does. He really cares about quality and I think that's why people are so rabid for his work. And if something doesn't feel right, he'll let you know and if it goes right, he'll let you know, too. And he's really good at expressing if something's not feeling right and then we'd pause and kind of figure out how to make it feel organic and honest and as real as possible, because everything he does comes from such a real, honest place. Q Paul Rudd is such a big deal and he has his own gravitational pull as an actor, but he really kind of bends to the universe of Tim in this movie. How was he in terms of shaping his performance to fit into this world and reacting to Tim's utter strangeness? A Rudd is an absolute professional and also just the best, most lovely dude in the world. He had a tonne of ideas coming into it and I love when actors have ideas and I try to incorporate them as much as possible. When we started shooting, he kind of did a bunch of levels and we figured it out. From the jump, we knew we were gonna shoot this and perform this as if we're in a drama. Of course there's a lot of silly stuff happening and goofy situations, but we play it as if it's high stakes for these characters. And he was really good about committing to the drama and the emotion underneath it, while also knowing, like, what behaviours would get a laugh. He's really good about knowing when to go to the line of something that feels joke-y and not crossing it. I think why he's so brilliant and so loved, because he really has such a precise gauge on his performance and what's funny and how to make things grounded or do what the scene needs. He's in all kinds of stuffand he can go so many places, but for this, he really knew from the jump that this needed to be a certain kind of underplayed performance. And it's ultimately Tim's movie and he's there to support Tim in the best way possible. Q In the real world, if you came across someone like Tim Robinson's character in the movie, how could you control that situation and not let it get out of hand, the way it does in the movie? A We can't control everyone, that's for sure. (Laughs.) I wrote the (Rudd) character in hopes that he would display, at least in the first act, healthy masculinity. And to be someone who's so OK in themselves that they can let other people have hard feelings by saying, "This friendship is no longer going to continue". Which is, I felt, so rare, not only in male relationships but in relationships in general. We're so under-socialised now to let people have hard feelings. And I was hoping to exemplify in some way that this character has the ability to express themselves and put boundaries in place that are healthy for themselves. The fun of the movie, quote-unquote, is watching (Robinson's character) not listen to those boundaries in such an adolescent way. Hopefully by the end, he has a seed of how to handle it. — TCA
Man of Many
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Man of Many
The Cinematic Seven: Superman, The Naked Gun, and Spinal Tap All Turn It Up To 11
From an upbeat incarnation of the archetypal superhero and the unexpected return of the world's funniest rock 'n' band to Liam Neeson's deadpan comedy chops and a horror maestro's new take on the western, here's what you should check out at your local multiplex over the next few months. We're back with the third instalment of The Cinematic Seven, our quarterly wrap-up in which we sidestep the ever-increasing glut of fee-hungry streaming services by encouraging you to forgo movie night on the couch and opt for an old-fashioned cinema experience instead. This time around, we have the hard launch of James Gunn's DC Cinematic Universe with Superman, which promises a Man of Steel who's far removed from the dour Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill version. We're also looking forward to the Australian premiere of Tim Robinson's Friendship, a must-see comedy for fans of his Netflix series I Think You Should Leave ('You sure about that?'). We're similarly excited for Ari Aster's new western, Eddington (for those unfamiliar, he's the very talented chap behind Hereditary and Midsommar), as well as an unexpected but very welcome encore for the world's least self-aware rock band in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. As always, this is a streaming-free zone. Get your arse to the movies. 1. Superman While I probably suffer from superhero movie fatigue more than most—the new Fantastic Four flick is absent from this list for that very reason—James Gunn's take on the OG has piqued my interest. The Guardians of the Galaxy director has repeatedly demonstrated a deft ability to combine engaging action with sharp humour and poignant character arcs, and the trailers for this effort suggest he's created a Superman in possession of a warmth and humility sorely missed from the DCEU incarnation. With David Corenswet pulling on the iconic blue tights, he has a lightness of touch and a cheery humour that recalls versions of Superman from before he started trying to out-angst his Gotham-based, pointy-eared ally. Plus, this time they're even bringing his adorable dog Krypto from the comic page to the big screen. While the cast looks overcrowded, and I'm not sure Lex Luthor is as threatening as he should be, at least this Superman appears to understand his purpose is to actually, y'know, save people. In cinemas: 10 July 2025 2. Friendship The three seasons of Netflix's I Think You Should Leave are a spectacular showcase for comedian Tim Robinson's unique brand of off-putting, utterly hilarious, and highly meme-able humour. Now, Friendship pairs his singular talent with Paul Rudd and writer/director Andrew DeYoung and by all accounts, it's one of the funniest comedies of the year. The film's trailers suggest it's something like The Cable Guy (a highly underrated Jim Carrey vehicle) projected through a …You Should Leave lens. According to the synopsis, 'Suburban dad Craig (Robinson) falls hard for his charismatic new neighbour, but his attempts to make an adult male friend soon threaten to ruin both of their lives.' While certain elements appearing in the trailer look like they could come straight from the forthcoming season of Robinson's cult Netflix series, others hint at something darker, and I could not be more on board. In cinemas: 17 July 2025 3. Weapons For those who loved 2022's Barbarian—I know there are a lot of you out there—this one deserves to be on your radar. While that was a flick I could take or leave, it did have some inspired moments, so I'm curious to see what writer/director Zach Cregger has up his sleeve now. Bizarrely, Cregger first made his name as part of the unhinged but undeniably funny sketch comedy outfit, The Whitest Kids U'Know, and he seems determined to bring a similarly off-the-wall energy to his horror movies. While the trailers for Weapons have, as all good trailers should, focused on vibes rather than plot, which makes it hard to say exactly what's going on, there's something genuinely unnerving about dozens of small children running out of their houses in the dead of night and disappearing forever. With Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, and Alden Ehrenreich leading the cast, there are plenty of reasons to check this one out. Plus, Cregger's off to helm the Resident Evil reboot after this, so it seems the film studio has plenty of faith in his horror chops. In cinemas: 7 August 2025 4. Eddington Writer/director Ari Aster's Hereditary and Midsommar were so good that I'll probably check out every film he makes for the next 20 years. With Eddington, he's trying his hand at a contemporary western with dark comedy elements, and the cast alone makes it essential viewing. We're talking Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler coming together to tell a Covid-era tale in which a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbours are pitted against one another in Eddington, New Mexico. To be honest, I don't want to know much more, and neither should you, as I'm willing to bet this will be one of those in-cinema experiences where the less you know going in, the more you enjoy it. In cinemas: 21 August 2025 5. The Naked Gun I have to confess that I never much cared for Leslie Nielsen's The Naked Gun films while I was growing up. Maybe I'd find more to enjoy about them if I revisited them all these years later, but as it stands, they never made me laugh. I do, however, have fond memories of the hearty chuckles delivered by Liam Neeson's brief appearance in Ricky Gervais' Life's Too Short series. For that reason, and my suspicion that his appearance there was a large part of the reason he landed this job, I'm curious to see how this turns out. The film appears to follow in the footsteps of its forebears by placing Neeson's Frank Drebin Jr. (yeah, he's playing Nielsen's son) in increasingly ridiculous situations that he never fails to take entirely seriously, alongside a similarly po-faced Pamela Anderson. Here's hoping it's all enough to give Neeson's career a shot in the arm after years of straight-to-streaming, sub-Taken action flicks. In cinemas: 21 August 2025 6. One Battle After Another I think Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most overrated actors working today. I said it. But if Paul Thomas Anderson thinks he's a good fit for his latest film, well, I'm not about to argue with the bloke who made Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, and Licorice Pizza. Plus, this looks like the kind of role old Leo should be taking on, as he seems far better suited to this kind of dressing-gown-clad loser than the Oscar-eyeing exercises in gravitas he's so fond of. According to the synopsis, this film is about a group of ex-revolutionaries who reunite to rescue one of their own's daughter from an enemy who's resurfaced after 16 years. However it plays out, Benicio Del Toro will be the main reason I'm watching. In cinemas: 25 September 2025
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Film That Captures a ‘Friend Breakup'
Men will literally, as the meme goes, do anything to avoid therapy. They'll start wars. They'll become obsessed with the Roman empire. They'll join more improv teams than they could possibly need. The meme captures the exaggerated nature of the 'male-loneliness epidemic' narrative: Despite a recent study finding that American men and women are roughly equally lonely, the idea that men are especially unable to cope with social isolation persists. But for Craig Waterman, the protagonist of the new film Friendship, male loneliness is no myth. Played by the comedian Tim Robinson—best known as the mastermind behind the sketch-comedy series I Think You Should Leave—Craig is, to put it mildly, dreadful at making friends. He's an intrusive thought in human form, the embodiment of the speed bump he had the city install on his street. He's a tightly wound collection of eccentricities attempting to come off as an everyman, and as such, his co-workers can't stand him. His teenage son won't go see the 'new Marvel' with him. Even his wife, Tami (played by Kate Mara), would rather hang out with her ex-boyfriend. In other words, Craig is a weirdo who's perfectly in keeping with Robinson's oeuvre of over-the-top characters: He knows he's not fitting in, but he desperately wants to anyway. That he fails again and again to perform a more socially acceptable version of himself leaves him anxious, frustrated, and at times enraged. It's no wonder, then, that Craig can't seem to accept when a relationship is over. Friendship traces how Craig and his neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd), a jovial weatherman, quickly bond and then break apart. At first, the pair get along beautifully: Craig goes to see Austin perform with his band, and Austin takes Craig mushroom foraging. But when Craig ruins an evening with Austin's buddies, Austin cuts him off. Craig's attempts to repair their closeness only make the situation worse before veering into the bizarre. The result is a film that's both funny and unnerving; it examines the absurdity of modern male-bonding rituals and the lengths a person will go to in order to get someone else, especially a new friend, to like them. [Read: An unlikely model for male friendship] Friendship often plays like a horror movie, with the director, Andrew DeYoung, deploying techniques that shroud the story in suspense: dramatic cinematography, slow zooms, an off-putting lo-fi score. Robinson, meanwhile, has a knack for pulling faces that make him seem harmless yet somehow creepy. In an early scene, when Craig watches Austin perform, he imagines himself as the band's drummer. Craig's open-mouthed, wide-eyed expression can be interpreted as admiration, but it can also scan as obsession. He looks like he is about to start drooling. The film is full of visual gags like that, many of which do little to move the plot forward. A guy named Jimp has to repeat his name multiple times before Craig understands him. When Craig tries a recreational drug, he hallucinates about wandering into a Subway sandwich shop; what follows made me laugh so much that I teared up. At work, Craig fills his coffee mug to the brim, shuffles through the office hallways trying not to spill a drop, and then stiffly sips from the rim during a meeting. These scenes come off as irrelevant sketches shoehorned into the story, but they capture how Craig perceives the world around him. Even in the most normal of circumstances, his social awkwardness leads to him doing or fixating on something unusual—and then struggling to understand why others don't see his point of view. Yet Robinson never makes Craig out to be a complete outcast—he's just a guy who's baffled by how people get along. His deceptively nuanced performance makes Friendship somewhat compassionate as a study of how exhausting social mores can be to grasp. On the disastrous night when he meets Austin's friends, for instance, Craig copies everyone around him, grabbing a beer, delivering self-deprecating jokes, and agreeing to some casual sparring. But when he punches his new pal hard enough to make him fall over, the other men's silence befuddles him. Wasn't that what they'd wanted him to do, in cheering him on so enthusiastically? Later in the film, Craig takes Tami out on a date that, unbeknownst to her, involves exploring a hidden network of underground tunnels; he had so much fun trekking through them with Austin. Tami dislikes the experience, however, leaving Craig confused. Why is an adventure okay in one context and not in another? Would she have enjoyed herself if she were with someone who more easily commanded respect, like Austin? Is Craig really the problem—or are the unspoken expectations defining human interaction the actual culprits? [Read: How the passionate male friendship died] Friendship doesn't really pursue any answers to those questions, and the film is too slight and scattershot to be able to offer illuminating insights. Instead, it fearlessly—and wackily—reckons with how confounding people can be in their bid for one another's approval: at work, at home, at their new friend's house while dressed in their finest Ocean View Dining clothing. (It's the only brand that fits Craig just right.) More than anything, Robinson delivers a fantastic showcase for his particular brand of humor. His shtick—characters who seem like average middle-aged men until they open their mouth—has won him a cult following, but it's likely not for everyone. For those who prefer less cringe, well, take it from Craig himself: There's a new Marvel out. Article originally published at The Atlantic
