I Loved Cringing My Way Through Friendship, But I Can’t Tell If I Completely Misunderstood Craig’s Story Or Not

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Let’s remind everyone that if you haven’t seen the movie “Friendship” yet, it’s important to be aware of potential spoilers. You can now stream this movie on HBO Max, which requires a subscription.

In an impressive feat for a 2025 film, Andrew DeYoung’s “Friendship” manages to use Tim Robinson’s unique comic talent in an unexpected manner. Instead of his renowned work in cringe-comedy like “I Think You Should Leave,” he delves into a full-length movie reminiscent of “Fatal Attraction.” Remarkably, Robinson maintains his style without veering off course. His unusual portrayal is so compelling that it leaves me questioning whether I truly grasped the challenging film or found it too uncomfortable to watch.

The movie’s plot doesn’t rely on an intricate, complex narrative like a puzzlebox; instead, it follows a familiar pattern: “Two Men Meet, One Threatens Their Blossoming Friendship, and One Destroys His Life Consequentially.” Although I don’t doubt the essential elements of the story, I am curious if others had similar first impressions. So let’s dive in and explore this together!

My Take: Most Of What We See In Friendship Is From Craig’s Unreliable Perspective

The movie Friendship primarily revolves around Craig, as the narrative largely focuses on him and rarely explores other characters when he is not present. For example, we don’t get to follow Kate Mara’s Tami in the sewers, or witness Paul Rudd’s Austin socializing exclusively with his real friends, or spend much time with the school-aged characters. In essence, Craig plays a central role throughout the film.

Initially, when Craig appears as a friendly eccentric, it’s easy to accept the authenticity of those scenes. However, once he becomes infatuated with Austin, Craig’s life and actions become increasingly bizarre in comically awkward ways, stretching the limits of believability, even within such an obviously fictional context. This made me question, around halfway through the movie, if all the highs and lows we see in Craig’s life are being distorted by his exaggerated mindset, and that the events would be vastly different if seen from Austin or Tami’s perspective.

It seems clear that Rudd, Mara, and other cast members deliberately portrayed scenes to give off a vibe more akin to a traditional drama, which undoubtedly contributes to the film’s tonal inconsistencies. However, I believe this doesn’t entirely explain why I doubt the authenticity of the film Friendship.

Certain Scenes (And Austin’s Final Wink) Only Make Sense To Me If Friendship Isn’t 100% Objective

Although I can concede that not every aspect of this film needs to be comprehensively explained or logically consistent, the frequent occurrence of bizarre events leaves me doubtful about its overall authenticity. Some instances, such as those described below, remain incomprehensible to me unless there’s a change in perspective or point of view.

  • Austin’s Phone

After Craig’s first mishap with his phone during mushroom gathering, Austin informs him that Craig doesn’t possess a phone. However, later on, when Craig unexpectedly appears at the news station, Austin takes out a phone and is taken aback by Craig’s question as to why he has it. This topic isn’t brought up again in subsequent discussions.

There could be a chance Austin might have been trying to seem trendy by claiming not to possess one. However, I suspect Craig may have misunderstood or interpreted Austin’s words based on his personal views about phones at the time.

  • The Aftermath Of Craig Breaking In And Stealing Austin’s Gun

Despite Craig strolling unknowingly around his neighbors’ house with no issues, things took a turn when the police and Austin arrived at his door. Instead of taking any action, they mainly yelled questions at him, yet Craig managed to talk his way out of trouble. Frankly, this incident seems rather fishy given Craig’s persistent bad luck throughout the movie, making it tough for me to believe this would be his moment of victory.

Even though Austin was clearly agitated at that moment, he quickly returned to his usual state of quiet discomfort around Craig, without mentioning the incident again or confronting him about the missing golden gun. I don’t recall Austin ever acknowledging it as his gun when Craig displayed it during the climax.

  • Tami And Devon

As a film enthusiast, I must say Josh Segarra truly shines in portraying heartfelt characters, and his performance in this film is no exception. However, there’s a certain tension between Devon and Tami that left me somewhat perplexed. Although it’s not explicitly mentioned, I can’t help but feel that Craig and Tami are preparing to part ways, possibly selling their house as part of an upcoming separation. It seems Robinson might be evading the truth about this situation, and his character could benefit from a bit more self-reflection.

Considering this, it’s not entirely surprising that Devon appeared at Tami’s post-disappearance party, spoke appropriately, and later moved into his pool house. However, given Craig’s distorted perspective, I believe some aspects related to Tami might have been exaggerated or misrepresented in this account.

As a film enthusiast, I must admit that Tami seemed to delve deeper into her experiences of being lost in the sewers than what Craig presented in his account. To be frank, he merely mentioned that she found relief, perhaps an emotional release, rather than explicitly stating that she had an orgasm. Personally, I find it hard to believe that Tami’s character is as superficial as that portrayal suggests.

  • Austin’s Final Wink

After discovering Craig’s instability, Austin shouldn’t have taken any action to further fuel his neighbor’s harmful obsession. This is especially true given that it was Austin himself who tried to intervene during the chaotic incident in the living room, even risking being shot with his own stolen gun. Hiding Austin’s bald head from others wouldn’t resolve this situation either.

I doubt that the incident really occurred as described, since Austin likely would have recognized his own hairpiece slipping off without needing Craig’s assistance.

Upon getting handcuffed and being driven away in the police car, Craig suddenly finds himself mentally replaying their first night out together, wishfully thinking it went much smoother than it really did. At this moment, Austin turns around and flashes a wink that leaves Craig feeling unexpectedly joyful. In my perspective, portraying this fantasy scene serves as a reflection of Craig’s romanticized ideals, while the simultaneous occurrence of Austin’s wink symbolizes the blurred line between reality and illusion, suggesting that nothing is ever entirely true or false.

Yet I’m Still Not Entirely Sure If Understood Or Misread Craig’s Story

After seeing the movie “Friendship”, I, like many others, discussed it with those who had also watched and explored online for interviews with Andrew DeYoung and other people’s opinions about the film. While my search was not exhaustive, I acknowledge that I didn’t catch everything out there. In the commentary I did examine, I found few well-considered views that aligned with mine, and fewer still social media posts suggesting Craig as an untrustworthy narrator.

I might have overlooked the much-anticipated article/interview that provides concrete evidence suggesting that the plot of ‘Friendship’ took on an exaggerated quality due to Craig’s perspective. Until I can verify this for myself, I find myself questioning whether I truly grasped the movie or not.

Let me know whether or not you agree with me in the poll below.

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2025-09-10 03:40