I’ve mentioned it as soon as, and I’ll say it once more, Friendship was one among finest, if most uncomfortable, experiences I’ve had with something on the 2025 film schedule. The good A24 film a couple of middle-aged man looking for success and companionship is each a hilarious darkish comedy and one thing extra akin to a psychological thriller. Since revisiting Tim Robinson’s newest theatrical effort with my HBO Max subscription, I’ve been digging across the web every kind of theories.
From theories concerning the story being instructed from an unreliable narrator to sure facets of the film being fantasy, there’s been so much to interrupt down as of late. However I additionally stumbled throughout a fan idea on Reddit that makes this film even crazier and much more uncomfortable. Let me clarify…
There’s A Concept Going Round Suggesting Friendship’s Craig Is not Steven’s Dad
When bouncing across the A24 subreddit, I stumbled upon a submit arguing that Steven Waterman (Jack Dylan Grazer) isn’t truly Craig Waterman’s (Tim Robinson) son in Friendship. The person identified that within the occasion scene after Craig’s spouse, Tami Waterman (Kate Mara), comes dwelling after being misplaced within the sewer, she and her son are seen embracing her ex-boyfriend Devon (Josh Segarra), as a substitute of her husband.
Revisiting the scene, I can completely see the place this idea comes from, as Steven seems to be and acts extra like Devon than his personal dad, and the 2 by no means actually appear to bond, particularly after Tami goes lacking.
How That Reveal Would Make Friendship Even Extra Bonkers And Uncomfortable
Watching this scene after studying about this idea makes these relationships, and the film usually, much more bonkers and uncomfortable. It is just about a two-hour cringe fest with one unnerving scene after one other, together with some which might be straight-up insane (the gun scene, that entire cleaning soap scene, and many others.), and this simply provides one other layer of uneasiness and confusion to the story.
Now I’ve been fastened on questioning whether or not Craig himself thinks that Steven is his son, or if he believes that Devon is the daddy — keep in mind, Devon and Steven do look alike and actually appear to jive — or if these notions are all only a manifestation of the character’s stress and anxiousness affecting what we’re seeing.
Friendship’s Director Has Even Addressed The ‘Unintentional’ State of affairs
Each time I come throughout some wild fan idea, I attempt to make sense of it myself after which go and see whether or not the filmmaker has responded to such guesswork That was the case with Friendship, which introduced me to an interview with Film Maker the place author and director Andrew DeYoung addressed the entire scenario about Craig and Steven’s father-son relationship. At first, I anticipated DeYoung to say it was all a part of the plan, however the reverse occurred, as he identified:
Love that. You’re not the one one which’s introduced that up. And I like when individuals say that, as a result of it provides a layer that’s not meant. It similar to, ended up that means. And I like how individuals can learn into it. And I feel it’s like, humorous and I like that. I ought to come clean with it or one thing.
Properly, it seems to be prefer it’s not some “learn between the traces” scenario for the speculation about Steven’s father, however as DeYoung identified, it does add one other layer to this already wild film.
Despite the fact that we’ll most likely by no means know if Craig is Steven’s dad or not, the inclusion of the occasion scene and different moments between the 2 characters solely assist make this an excellent crazier and extra uncomfortable expertise than the common film viewing. It’s one I gained’t neglect, irrespective of how a lot I attempt.