The guy from the hotdog suit meme finally gets a moment in the spotlight as he teams up with Paul Rudd for a new cringe comedy.
…I’m being told he’s had a couple of well-regarded TV series and I am horribly out of touch. That tracks.
How to watch Friendship in New Zealand
Friendship is in New Zealand cinemas from July 17, 2025. Probably on some kind of awkward man date where they keep an empty seat between them.
What is Friendship about?
Compromise and disappointment, in my experience.
But the movie? Well, seems I’m on the money! Marketing exec Craig Waterman is adrift in life and emotionally unavailable to his wife Tami, who’s recovering from cancer. When he strikes up a friendship with new neighbour Austin Carmichael it revitalises him, but our hapless suburban hero starts to become obsessed. After the two have a falling out, Austin resorts to more desperate and awkward efforts to win him back, and hilarity presumably ensues.
Look, cringe comedy is an acquired taste, and you either find it funny as hell or the comedic equivalent of fingernails down a blackboard. There’s very little middle ground. This one comes to us from writer and director Andrew DeYoung, who’s making his feature filmmaking debut here.
The cast of Friendship
Tim Robinson is Craig Waterman; Paul Rudd is Austin Carmichael; Kate Mara is Tami Waterman, Craig’s wife; Jack Dylan Grazer is Steven Waterman, Craig’s son; Josh Segarra is Devon; Billy Bryk is Tony; Jason Veasey is Zed; Jon Glaser is Big Sam; Eric Rahill is Mike; Conner O’Malley is Patton; Carmen Christopher is Jimp; Craig Frank is Buzz; Omar Torres is Jared; Jacob Ming-Trent is Nathan; Daniel London is Stan; Whitmer Thomas is Ian; Raphael Sbarge is Garrett; Ivy Wolk is Jen Peyser; and Meredith Garretson is Bianca.
Friendship trailer
Why we’re excited about Friendship
It’s…not my thing. But maybe it’s your thing. Nothing wrong with that.
