Friendship (2024) - S14 E111

Friendship (2024) - S14 E111

From Shoot The Hostage by Shoot The Hostage Podcast

March 30, 2026 · 1h 7m · Episode 155

About this episode

The episode explores the themes of validation and character identities in the A24 film Friendship (2024).

We’ve hit the midpoint of our Identity season, which Dan has effectively turned into a curated gallery of “disenfranchised men,” and our latest target is the A24 cringe comedy masterclass, Friendship (2024.) We explore the desperate lengths someone will go to for a bit of validation and the uncomfortable gap between who we are and the character identities we perform for others. Introducing Craig Waterman, a colour-blind passive man who only wears Ocean View Dining trousers but comes alive when he meets Austin, played by Paul Rudd. What to expect from the episode: We explore why A24 continues to corner the market on gdang weird cinema. Sarah explains why the first ten minutes felt more like a horror movie than a comedy. Dan defends his specific niche for film choices featuring disenfranchised men. We analyse Paul Rudd’s Austin and decide if he’s a cool adventurer or if he’s ticking off a midlife crisis checklist. Unpacking why the speed bump is the funniest recurring motif in the history of cinema. A serious inquiry into whether licking a toad is a viable alternative to therapy for insecure people. We discuss the “Jimp” incident and why it proves that comedic delivery is the only…

People in this episode

Host: Dan

Topics covered

  • disenfranchised men
  • A24 cinema
  • comedy analysis
  • character identities
  • validation
  • neurodivergent masking

Keywords

  • Friendship 2024
  • A24
  • Paul Rudd
  • comedy
  • disenfranchised men
  • neurodivergent masking
  • validation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: A24

Books & works: Friendship (2024)

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