Friendship

Suburban Dads, Emotional Damage, and the Most Passive-Aggressive Backyard Firepit in Cinema

Friendship is a dark comedy that explores what happens when a group of adult men decide—against their better judgment—to hang out on purpose. It stars Paul Rudd, Tim Robinson, and a supporting cast of emotionally repressed dudes in flannel, cargo shorts, and the kind of sneakers you only buy after turning 40 and saying the word “arch support” unironically.

The story follows Dan—because of course it’s Dan—who invites a few neighborhood dads over for beers, hoping to bond over grilling and casual trauma. What starts as a simple backyard hangout quickly devolves into passive-aggressive power dynamics, low-stakes betrayal, and a deep examination of why grown men think building a deck together counts as intimacy.

From the opening scene, you know exactly what kind of emotional minefield you’re in for. There’s a garage jam session that ends in tears. A surprisingly intense game of cornhole that uncovers a decade-old grudge about fantasy football. One of the men cries in a tent while the others pretend not to notice. Another shows up late and tries to act like he wasn’t just circling the block for 45 minutes trying to talk himself into showing up.

The movie somehow balances absurdity and poignancy, making you laugh out loud one minute and question your own friendships the next. Paul Rudd plays the guy who never opens up until he suddenly does in a monologue about mowing the lawn at night to avoid his feelings. Tim Robinson delivers an unhinged speech about the existential dread of patio furniture. And someone, at some point, definitely tries to hug someone else and gets politely rebuffed with a fist bump.

It’s awkward, heartfelt, funny, and just uncomfortably real enough to make you want to text your old friends “sup” at 1 a.m. without context.

I give Friendship 4.5 out of 5 backyard breakdowns, with extra credit for every character who emotionally unravels while holding a Solo cup.