Most critics come away laughing, and slightly winded. The reviews are largely positive, and the praise gathers around Tim Robinson, whose performance as Craig is widely called the film’s engine: awkward, committed, and painful to sit with. Paul Rudd’s turn as the more likeable friend is nearly as well received, and several critics say the two together make even mundane exchanges funny. A few also credit Kate Mara with keeping the film grounded when it tips into chaos.
The reservations are about staying power. Several critics find the sketch-like structure wears thin over a feature, the plot slight and the last act short of momentum, and the Guardian faults the female characters as under-imagined. Vulture notes it stays within familiar Robinson territory. The spread is fairly wide: two outlets call it the funniest comedy in years, while Variety alone is negative, finding the cringe increasingly incoherent at length and Robinson’s character eventually shutting the audience out.
E
Empire
15 July 2025 · Iana Murray
90*
The critic finds the film an excruciatingly awkward but hilarious comedy. They single out Tim Robinson’s distinctive performance and Paul Rudd’s outstanding turn.
Read the full review →I
IndieWire
10 September 2024 · B+ · David Ehrlich
83
Ehrlich calls it one of the year’s funniest comedies, though some scenes feel insufficiently strange. He praises Tim Robinson’s comic performance and the film’s carefully balanced absurdity and dramatic intent.
Read the full review →L
Little White Lies
15 July 2025 · 5/4/4 · Hannah Strong
80
Strong finds the film an offbeat, cringe-inducing comedy rather than a consistent knee-slapper. She praises Tim Robinson’s portrayal of Craig and the film’s unsettling, unpredictable energy.
Read the full review →R
Radio Times
★★★★ · Sean McGeady
80
McGeady finds the film nose-bleedingly funny and frequently discomfiting. He singles out Tim Robinson’s performance as a showcase for the comedian’s distinctive talent.
Read the full review →L
Los Angeles Times
9 May 2025 · Amy Nicholson
76*
Nicholson finds the film a terrific, painfully funny portrait of male loneliness, though it sometimes keeps its other characters psychologically shallow. She especially praises the comic chemistry between Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd, which makes even an ordinary Subway order funny.
Read the full review →S
Sight and Sound
17 July 2025
75*
The critic finds the comedy impressive and genre-fluid, though its sketch-like structure sometimes wears thin. Tim Robinson’s cringe-perfect performance is singled out as a particular strength.
Read the full review →S
Slant Magazine
2 May 2025 · ★★★/4 · Marshall Shaffer
75
The critic finds the film engaging and funny, though its deliberately uncertain comic approach can become exhausting. They praise its sharp skewering of the rituals that estrange men from their emotions.
Read the full review →H
The Hollywood Reporter
12 September 2024 · festival review · Michael Rechtshaffen
75*
The critic finds the film a gleefully discomfiting comedy that delivers some of the year’s biggest laughs. He praises Tim Robinson’s finely balanced performance, while noting that the plot is thin and the last act could use more momentum.
Read the full review →V
Vulture
9 May 2025 · Alison Willmore
75*
Willmore finds the film funny and effective, while noting it stays within familiar Tim Robinson territory. She particularly praises the comedic cul-de-sacs and Robinson’s ability to make ordinary missteps suspenseful.
Read the full review →A
The AV Club
8 May 2025 · B- · Jacob Oller
70
Oller finds the film intermittently funny but too shallow and repetitive to sustain an intimate viewing. He praises the comic chemistry between Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd, along with a memorable psychedelic toad sequence.
Read the full review →G
The Guardian
16 July 2025 · Peter Bradshaw
70*
Bradshaw finds the comedy’s absurdist turn divisive at first but increasingly effective, with male inadequacy as its central point. He praises Tim Robinson’s cringe-inducing performance, while faulting the female characters for being under-imagined.
Read the full review →S
Screen Daily
17 July 2025 · Nikki Baughan
64*
The review presents the film as a cringe comedy about a bromance gone sour, but its overall critical verdict is unavailable in the accessible excerpt. It singles out Robinson’s first major feature role as notable.
Read the full review →T
Time Out
8 May 2025 · ★★★ · Elizabeth Weitzman
60
Weitzman presents the film as a funny, awkward comedy built around bad choices. She singles out Paul Rudd as a joy to watch.
Read the full review →V
Variety
23 April 2025 · Owen Gleiberman
35*
Gleiberman finds the film’s cringe comedy increasingly incoherent and less funny when stretched to feature length. He praises Paul Rudd’s appealing performance, but says Tim Robinson’s character eventually shuts viewers out.
Read the full review →The critic calls the film an unforgettable, potentially cult-classic comedy and says it may be the best comedy of the past decade. They single out its originality, Robinson’s comic performance, and an especially funny scene they avoid spoiling.
Read the full review →The review calls Friendship the funniest film of the year and praises its distinctive, escalating comedy. It singles out Tim Robinson’s performance and the film’s carefully crafted jokes, with Paul Rudd and Kate Mara also playing effectively against the strangeness.
Read the full review →C
Collider
9 September 2024 · festival review · Ross Bonaime
90*
The critic calls Friendship a hilarious comedy poised to become a cult favorite. They especially praise Tim Robinson’s comic delivery and Andrew DeYoung’s writing, while also highlighting the supporting cast.
Read the full review →/
/Film
11 March 2025 · 9/10 · Michael Boyle
90
Boyle finds the film a delightful, vulnerable, and agonizing comedy that should especially appeal to fans of Tim Robinson. He praises Kate Mara’s sincere, grounded performance for helping the film maintain its tone amid the chaos.
Read the full review →P
Paste
23 May 2025 · 9.0/10 · Garrett Martin
90
Martin praises the film as an absolutely hilarious, insightful showcase for Tim Robinson, while arguing Craig’s loneliness comes from his own social failures rather than a broader male epidemic. He singles out Paul Rudd’s increasingly insecure foil as a source of added depth and comic contrast.
Read the full review →The headline presents the film as a riotously funny, absurdist cringe comedy. It singles out Tim Robinson’s performance, but the article text was inaccessible, so the full review verdict could not be verified.
Read the full review →D
Den of Geek
8 May 2025 · ★★★★ · David Crow
80
The critic calls the film a delightful, cruel, and nihilistic cringe comedy. He praises its slow-boil tension and the way Tim Robinson’s character’s self-defeating behavior drives the laughs.
Read the full review →D
Deadline
11 March 2025 · festival review · Glenn Garner
75*
The critic finds the dark bromance funny, subversive, and enjoyably cringe-inducing. They single out Paul Rudd’s charming contrast with Tim Robinson and Robinson’s physical comedy for praise.
Read the full review →C
Consequence
7 May 2025 · Clint Worthington
70*
Worthington finds the dark comedy nastily effective, though its joke and character dynamics lose impact over time. He particularly praises Tim Robinson’s consistent, committed portrayal of Craig’s escalating social inadequacies.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate