Friendship

The lead character in Friendship is either oblivious or apathetic to the impact of his boorish and obnoxious behavior on those around him.

The same can be said for the film itself, a gleefully subversive suburban saga designed as a vehicle for actor Tim Robinson (“I Think You Should Leave”), which audaciously pushes the limits of cringe comedy.

Your tolerance for him might equate to your appreciation of the movie. We don’t laugh at him or with him. We laugh because it’s a reflex to mask our discomfort, and such laughs are in abundance for those in that mindset.

Robinson plays Craig, a socially awkward marketing manager who lives with his florist wife (Kate Mara) and teenage son (Jack Dylan Grazer). His first interaction seems innocent enough with his neighbor, television meteorologist Austin (Paul Rudd), when he delivers a package that was sent to the wrong address.

They hit it off, and bond into a full-blown mutual bromance, with Craig positioned as a lovable loser who just needs a buddy. Austin wants to give him the benefit of the doubt, and invites him into his social circle for some beers and concerts.

However, it’s not long before he realizes that Craig has no filter or self-awareness, lacks appropriate boundaries, might be mentally unstable, gives off creepy stalker vibes, and at times barely feels like he’s fully functional.

“We had a couple of really nice hangs, but I think it’s best that we go our separate ways,” Austin explains, although by that time, the obsessive and embarrassing Craig has other ideas and won’t go away easily.

In some ways, the project feels like an expansion of Robinson’s aforementioned sketch show. Like Austin, the more time we spend with Craig, the more we squirm. That’s by design.

The screenplay by rookie director Andrew DeYoung offers an underlying probe of fragile male companionship, trying to generate a rooting interest in Craig more out of pity than sympathy. As it becomes detached from reality, it struggles to find a surreal path forward.

Still, even if it exhausts a one-note premise stretched to feature length, Friendship pushes the right buttons for anyone willingly subjecting themselves to its manipulations.

Rated R, 99 minutes.