(Credit: Netflix)

Onscreen friendships usually have us in a chokehold, making us laugh and cry with the characters while desiring their dynamic, and sometimes even processing our own feelings through their conflicts. Nevertheless, whatever happens, they often come through with glittering montages and an end-credits hug. But have you ever thought what would happen when you strip away the sentimentality and let awkwardness, sarcasm, and real emotional mess seep in? Well, you are lucky as Netflix has just the movie for you.

If you are craving a realistic and raw friendship movie, the highly underrated 2016 comedy-drama, The Fundamentals of Caring, has you covered. This film does not sugarcoat the idea of making a connection, but instead portrays it as the stumble most of us experience in real life.

Based on Jonathan Evison’s novel, this Netflix original film has Paul Rudd starring as Ben who plays a freshly-trained caregiver grappling with his own grief. Assigned to care for Trevor, a teenage boy with muscular dystrophy (played brilliantly by Craig Roberts) and deadpan humour and sarcasm as his armour, the two embark on a road trip. Though the trip starts on a tense and transactional foot, it slowly morphs into something surprisingly tender.

Unlike many friendship films that rely on loud declarations and dramatic fallouts, this one builds its charm on quieter beats. Ben and Trevor bond over dark humour and slowly unfold their mutual emotional baggage. There is no grand transformation or a magical epiphany—just two people, broken in different ways, trying to figure each other out over pit stops and tourist traps.

And that is where the film works its magic. It never tries to be a “feel-good” movie in the traditional sense, but you do end up feeling good. It is funny, but not in a look-at-the-differently-abled-kid kind of way. It is moving, but never manipulative. And it manages to say a lot about trust, vulnerability, and what it means to simply show up for someone.

Paul Rudd dials down his usual charm to play Ben with a kind of wounded restraint. You believe he is someone who has lost something vital, while Roberts, with his dry delivery and sharp eyes, ensures that Trevor is never reduced to a victim or a symbol of inspiration. Their dynamic is messy, layered, and ultimately endearing.

Throw in Selena Gomez as a hitchhiker with a biting wit and a soft centre, and you have a trio that defies every cliche you expect from a road trip movie. The landscapes may be scenic, but it is the emotional detours that make this journey memorable.

In an age where friendships are often curated for Instagram or scripted into rom-com subplots, The Fundamentals of Caring feels refreshingly human. It celebrates the friendships that develop slowly, clumsily, and without the pressure of labels or timelines. And sometimes, that is the kind of story we need.

It is the sort of film that makes you want to call an old friend, not because you have something specific to say, but because it reminds you that showing up, even imperfectly, still counts for something. This story proves that sometimes, the greatest gift in a friendship is not advice or comfort, but just being there, being present.