I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, Friendship was one of best, if most uncomfortable, experiences I’ve had with anything on the 2025 movie schedule. The great A24 movie about a middle-aged man trying to find fulfillment and companionship is both a hilarious dark comedy and something more akin to a psychological thriller. Since revisiting Tim Robinson’s latest theatrical effort with my HBO Max subscription, I’ve been digging around the internet looking at all kinds of theories.
From theories about the story being told from an unreliable narrator to certain aspects of the movie being fantasy, there’s been a lot to break down as of late. But I also stumbled across a fan theory on Reddit that makes this movie even crazier and a lot more uncomfortable. Let me explain…
There’s A Theory Going Around Suggesting Friendship’s Craig Isn’t Steven’s Dad
When bouncing around the A24 subreddit, I stumbled upon a post arguing that Steven Waterman (Jack Dylan Grazer) isn’t actually Craig Waterman’s (Tim Robinson) son in Friendship. The user pointed out that in the party scene after Craig’s wife, Tami Waterman (Kate Mara), comes home after being lost in the sewer, she and her son are seen embracing her ex-boyfriend Devon (Josh Segarra), instead of her husband.
Revisiting the scene, I can totally see where this theory comes from, as Steven looks and acts more like Devon than his own dad, and the two never really seem to bond, especially after Tami goes missing.
How That Reveal Would Make Friendship Even More Bonkers And Uncomfortable
Watching this scene after reading about this theory makes those relationships, and the movie in general, even more bonkers and uncomfortable. It’s pretty much a two-hour cringe fest with one unnerving scene after another, including some that are straight-up insane (the gun scene, that whole soap scene, etc.), and this just adds another layer of uneasiness and confusion to the story.
Now I’ve been fixed on wondering whether Craig himself thinks that Steven is his son, or if he believes that Devon is the father — remember, Devon and Steven do look alike and really seem to jive — or if those notions are all just a manifestation of the character’s stress and anxiety affecting what we’re seeing.
Friendship’s Director Has Even Addressed The ‘Unintentional’ Situation
Whenever I come across some wild fan theory, I try to make sense of it myself and then go and see whether the filmmaker has responded to such guesswork That was the case with Friendship, which brought me to an interview with Movie Maker where writer and director Andrew DeYoung addressed the whole situation about Craig and Steven’s father-son relationship. At first, I expected DeYoung to say it was all part of the plan, but the opposite happened, as he pointed out:
Love that. You’re not the only one that’s brought that up. And I love when people say that, because it adds a layer that’s not intended. It just like, ended up that way. And I love how people can read into it. And I think it’s like, funny and I like that. I should own up to it or something.
Well, it looks like it’s not some “read between the lines” situation for the theory about Steven’s father, but as DeYoung pointed out, it does add another layer to this already wild movie.
Even though we’ll probably never know if Craig is Steven’s dad or not, the inclusion of the party scene and other moments between the two characters only help make this an even crazier and more uncomfortable experience than the average movie viewing. It’s one I won’t forget, no matter how much I try.
