• Friendship’s marketing banks heavily on Tim Robinson’s rising star, and that’s a wise move. His Netflix show, I Think You Should Leave, is a viral sensation for good reason. After all, you can’t go on social media for long without seeing something from the show. After seeing the film and enjoying the show myself, I’m still left wondering what could have been with a different lead. Yes, Robinson did a fine job with this material. Still, the longer format of Friendship seems to clash with the short-form insanity for which he’s known.

    Friendship follows Tim’s Craig Waterman, an isolated family man whose typical way of life is shattered when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves in next door. Originally hitting it off, Austin steps away from the titular friendship once Craig comes on too strong. Unable to take this rejection, Craig bounces from one unhinged move to the next. He is unable to regain his stability and risks his whole way of life in the process.

    The above plot description doesn’t sound much like a comedy, and that makes sense. The bones of this movie aren’t very funny. The way Robinson and Rudd get on provides relatable insight into male relationships in the modern age. Even when they’re at odds, you see why these two are spending time together. It’s a realistic tragedy of errors that wouldn’t be out of place in the cringe-inducing sitcoms of twenty years ago. The best laughs come from natural, awkward moments that flow from the main story. Unfortunately, it feels as though Friendship doesn’t expect you to laugh right then and there.

    Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson share a scene in Friendship

    Robinson brings his signature outlandish character work to Friendship. Craig has a bounty of peculiar quirks, just like the show’s best personas. In addition, many later scenes feature Robinson’s trademark over-the-top shouting. However, these attempts at comedy feel like discarded bits from I Think You Should Leave. They don’t fit into the more realistic world the movie sets up, and I was constantly taken out of the movie because of it. I couldn’t buy that human beings would react to Robinson’s antics with anything but a call to the local asylum.

    Even the few times where Friendship shifts itself around to give Robinson Netflix-esque setups fall mostly flat. Is it humorous that Craig ends up on a drug trip that is as mundane as the rest of his life? Sure. Still, it’s nothing compared to the material that emerges when Robinson is both behind and in front of the camera.

    Tim Robinson sits behind the drums in Friendship

    Writer/Director Andrew DeYoung claims that the role of Craig was written specifically for Tim Robinson. I have no choice but to believe him, but that fact doesn’t gel with what’s on screen. Robinson’s bits clash so hard with the rest of the picture, and it’s hard not to imagine a version of the movie that ups the tension. There’s an edgier version of Craig’s slow descent into madness that I just want to see. Especially since Robinsion does a great job when he isn’t asked to ham it up and instead acts more to the ensemble.

    The rest of Friendship’s cast does a great job of existing around Robinson’s varying aura. Paul Rudd feels like he’s riffing on his character from Anchorman in his role, which was a welcome treat. Kate Mara works wonders in the small role of Craig’s suffering wife, Tami, as does Jack Dylan Grazer as the couple’s son. All the parts are there for the interesting black comedy that Friendship’s marketing promised. But, like a missed call from a good buddy, Friendship is a misfire that only hints at its true potential.

    Friendship was reviewed in the theater with a ticket purchased by the reviewer.

  • Snake (or if you’re OG, Blockade) is one of gaming’s universal experiences. Almost anyone who has played games has spent some time with something like it. Start as a segmented serpent in a small grid. Eat nondescript pellets to expand. Fight the timer and keep going faster before finding inevitable death via your own tail. It’s right up there with Tetris and Breakout from the early days. A format-defining experience that offers simple yet addictive action to anyone with a Nokia in their pocket. Serpentes builds on Snake and its many iterations to create something great. No longer a simple distraction, this is a rapid-fire high score chase that I cannot get enough of. 

    Rereleased for its 10th anniversary, Serpentes greatly improves on its no-frills inspiration. This is Snake, but with strategic depth that allows players to decide their own challenge. Who knew that adding Call of Duty-esque perks and loadouts would work so well for this arcade classic?

    Serpentes gameplay

    When you start, you pick two “gifts” to give your snake. These include an expanded timer, a smaller body, and the ability to grind on walls and avoid easy deaths. Once you’re in the game, your snake’s goal is to consume fruit. Each fruit unlocks a tier of powers, bringing predictable rewards and punishments. Each bite of the apple, banana, or pineapple changes things up. One fruit might add to your snake’s length. Another might add hazards to the board or give your snake new abilities. You can even unlock mini-games that you play alongside your Snake run.

    All these new additions take a few runs to absorb. This is a game in the style of classic arcade cabinets after all. There is no tutorial stage to guide you through everything. Instead, you can learn about each fruit’s mechanics on a screen off to the side from the gameplay. The rest of the mechanics are best laid out on the game’s store page. This could be a problem, but you know how to play snake, and you can have a good time even if your only goal is to eat more fruit. Still, once you get a grasp on Serpentes’ hidden depth, you’re playing an entirely different game.

    Serpentes banana time

    Serpentes’ masterful presentation and pacing help in capturing the attention of first-time players. Catchy techno beats from Pentadrangle keep you engaged from run to run. This is key since you can complete even the most successful of runs in a handful of minutes. In a game with higher stakes, the times when you get stun locked and rammed into a wall would be too frustrating to bear. Thankfully, runs here are so quick that your deaths simply fuel your forward momentum. It’s all progress toward unlocking more fruit, more perks, and more chaos for your snake to overcome.

    In a world of expansive multiplayer shooters and unwieldy AAA releases, it’s great to know that a game like Serpentes can still tap into what makes interactive entertainment truly wonderful. Simple, repeatable gameplay loops. Challenges that encourage players rather than driving them away. Kickass tunes that drive you forward. This is arcade gaming at its best and sold to players at a reasonable price. Especially when compared to the number of quarters I would have thrown away on this in the good ol’ days.

    Serpentes: 10th Anniversary Edition was reviewed on PC via itch.io with a key purchased by the reviewer. It will eventually be available on Steam.