The A24 movie Friendship was kind of a study in genre subversion. It had all the makings of a thriller about obsession, but was actually a comedy that unpacked the same things.

That's why it should come as no surprise that the director's commentary track for the movie came out; it's not exactly talking about telephoto lenses. It's actually just having a ton of fun.

But if you don't have the Blu-ray of the movie and want a taste of what it's like, you're in luck.

A24 released a "Commentary Supercut" featuring writer/director Andrew DeYoung, cinematographer Andy Rookski, and actor Conner O'Malley. What follows is less of a "making-of" and more of a hilarious hostage situation, where O'Malley derails the entire endeavor with a firehose of brilliant, absurdist improv.

Here’s everything we "learned" from the commentary.

Let's dive in.


The 'Friendship' Director's Commentary 

Amidst the chaos, director Andrew DeYoung and cinematographer Andy Rookski manage to slip in a few actual production details.

  • A Direct Uncut Gems Reference: DeYoung points out a shot featuring an opal, admitting, "This is a reference to Uncut Gems... I stole that directly from Uncut Gems".
  • The Rockstar Idea: The director notes that one of the core comedic ideas was capturing the "male idea of like I'm a rock star, I'm on stage" and what it feels like to watch someone "sincerely do music".
  • A Mystical Coincidence: O'Malley points out the "numerology" of the film being an "A24 movie" that had "23 days of shooting".

The bulk of the "commentary" is a deep dive into the psyche of Conner O'Malley, who, in this video, is an "actor, activist, playboy philanthropist billionaire, [and] Iron Man expert".

  • He Has a Sequel Pitch: O'Malley has a fully-formed idea for a sequel. He would play a Vietnam vet who "got the Captain America serum" but, instead of fighting crime, "decided not to" and "bought an RV dealership". The title? "Youngest Vietnam Vet".
  • He's Working on an "Improv Comedy Bike": He claims he was in town during the shoot to meet with Paul Tuttle from Orange County Choppers to build a "motorcycle based off of... improv".
  • He's a "Veteran": Not of a war, but of "Oz Fest 03".
  • He Has a Strict Post-Work Routine: After a long day on set, he doesn't just sleep. He has to "go to bed cuz, like sometimes I'm like, 'Yeah I got I got to play at least four hours of Fortnite'" on his gaming PC, which is located in his trailer.
  • He's Doing "Research": O'Malley mentions he was recently watching the original Pinocchio as part of a personal project. He is doing his own research and "starting at the beginning of media."
  • He Hates Smoking Aces (or Loves It?): He opens the commentary with a long tangent about the 2006 film Smoking Aces, describing a fictional era where police would show up at your house and execute you if you didn't see it.
  • His Stand-Up Is "Philosophy": While relentlessly promoting his shows at Cobbs Comedy Club, he clarifies that he doesn't do jokes. He does "standup philosophy".

Summing It All Up 

In the end, what you learn from this commentary has very little to do with the Friendship supercut itself. Instead, the commentary track becomes a new, meta-performance, offering a hilarious look at what happens when you let one of the funniest people alive into a recording booth with a microphone.

That alone is worth watching to me, and I think makes it an extension of the metanarrative of the movie.

Full-length available on the Friendship Blu-ray Blu-ray.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

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