--- title: "Friendship: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/friendship/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/friendship" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 23 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Friendship (2025): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 23 reviews: 20 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. 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. ## Empire — Iana Murray Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 July 2025. 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 review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/friendship/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B+. 10 September 2024. Festival review. 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 review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/friendship-review-tim-robinson-paul-rudd-1235046259/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 5/4/4. 15 July 2025. 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 review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/friendship) ## Radio Times — Sean McGeady Rating 4/5. 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 review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-0x27bd/friendship/) ## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 76/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-05-09/friendship-review-tim-robinson-paul-rudd-andrew-deyoung-a24) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2025. 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 review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/friendship-quest-companionship-spirals-out-control-this-funny-torturous-take-buddy-movie) ## Slant Magazine — Marshall Shaffer Rating 3/4. 2 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/friendship-review-paul-rudd-tim-robinson/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2024. Festival review. 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 review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/friendship-review-tim-robinson-paul-rudd-1235997184/) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.vulture.com/article/friendship-review-tim-robinson-is-at-his-most-tim-robinson.html) ## The AV Club — Jacob Oller Rating B-. 8 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.avclub.com/friendship-review) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 July 2025. 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 review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jul/16/friendship-review-tim-robinson-paul-rudd-andrew-deyoung) ## Screen Daily — Nikki Baughan Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2025. 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 review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/friendship-review-tim-robinson-and-paul-rudd-go-head-to-head-in-bromance-gone-sour/5207071.article) ## Time Out — Elizabeth Weitzman Rating 3/5. 8 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/friendship-review-2025) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 23 April 2025. 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 review](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/friendship-review-paul-rudd-tim-robinson-1236373946/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 97/100 (inferred from the text). Festival 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 review](https://www.heyuguys.com/friendship-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 5 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.thewrap.com/friendship-review-tim-robinson-paul-rudd-comedy/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2024. Festival review. 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 review](https://collider.com/friendship-movie-review/) ## /Film — Michael Boyle Rating 9/10. 11 March 2025. Festival review. 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 review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1809252/friendship-movie-review-tim-robinson-paul-rudd/) ## Paste — Garrett Martin Rating 9.0/10. 23 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/friendship/tim-robinsons-friendship-argues-that-some-men-deserve-to-be-lonely) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 May 2025. 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 review](https://theplaylist.net/friendship-review-tim-robinson-is-riotously-hilarious-in-a24s-absurdist-nightmare-fueled-cringe-comedy-20250512/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 8 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/friendship-review-paul-rudd/) ## Deadline — Glenn Garner Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 2025. Festival review. 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 review](https://deadline.com/2025/03/friendship-review-tim-robinson-paul-rudd-sxsw-1236306108/) ## Consequence — Clint Worthington Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 May 2025. 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 review](https://consequence.net/2025/05/friendship-review-tim-robinson-paul-rudd/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/friendship.md