Friendship (2024) - S14 E111

We’ve hit the midpoint of our Identity season, which Dan has effectively turned into a curated gallery of “disenfranchised men,” and our latest target is the A24 cringe comedy masterclass, Friendship (2024.)

We explore the desperate lengths someone will go to for a bit of validation and the uncomfortable gap between who we are and the character identities we perform for others. Introducing Craig Waterman, a colour-blind passive man who only wears Ocean View Dining trousers but comes alive when he meets Austin, played by Paul Rudd.

What to expect from the episode:

• We explore why A24 continues to corner the market on gdang weird cinema.
• Sarah explains why the first ten minutes felt more like a horror movie than a comedy.
• Dan defends his specific niche for film choices featuring disenfranchised men.
• We analyse Paul Rudd’s Austin and decide if he’s a cool adventurer or if he’s ticking off a midlife crisis checklist.
• Unpacking why the speed bump is the funniest recurring motif in the history of cinema.
• A serious inquiry into whether licking a toad is a viable alternative to therapy for insecure people.
• We discuss the “Jimp” incident and why it proves that comedic delivery is the only thing standing between a comedy and a psychological horror movie.
• Debating the character identities of the leads and specifically whether we’re watching a narcissist in the wild or a study in neurodivergent masking.
• Stay curious Craig.

This season has eight episodes, concluding April 27th

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