Drinking Buddies

Drinking Buddies

Year: 2013

Runtime: 90 min

Language: English

Director: Joe Swanberg

DramaComedyRomance

Working alongside each other at a Chicago brewery, Luke and Kate share a close friendship and undeniable chemistry. Their easygoing banter and playful flirting create a comfortable tension, complicated by the fact that they each have significant others. As they navigate the complexities of their relationships and the blurred lines between friendship and romance, the brewery and its beer serve as a backdrop for a chance to consider their true desires and what they really want from life.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Drinking Buddies yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Drinking Buddies (2013)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Drinking Buddies (2013). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Chicago, Revolution Brewing

Chicago, known for its rich history and vibrant culture, serves as the backdrop for 'Drinking Buddies.' Revolution Brewing, where the main characters work, is a lively craft brewery celebrated for its innovative beer offerings and communal atmosphere, making it a hub for both locals and visitors.

🍺 Brewery 🌆 City

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:57

Main Characters – Drinking Buddies (2013)

Meet the key characters of Drinking Buddies (2013), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Kate (Olivia Wilde)

Kate is a spirited and free-spirited woman who works in customer relations at the brewery. Her playful demeanor and spontaneous nature contrast sharply with her serious boyfriend Chris, leading her to question her relationship while developing feelings for her co-worker Luke.

🌸 Free Spirit 💼 Professional 💔 Conflicted

Luke (Jake M. Johnson)

Luke is a fun-loving and laid-back employee at the brewery, skilled in brewing and machinery. His chemistry with Kate creates a tension between his engagement to Jill and his feelings, leading to significant emotional conflict and jealousy.

🍺 Brewing 👫 Charming 😠 Jealous

Chris (Ron Livingston)

Chris is Kate's well-meaning but particular boyfriend who struggles to connect with her free spirit. His organized nature and aversion to beer place him at odds with Kate's personality, ultimately leading to their relationship's unraveling.

👔 Serious 🍷 Particular 💔 Frustrated

Jill (Anna Kendrick)

Jill is Luke's fiancée, whom he feels pressure to engage with marriage discussions. Her organized and somewhat controlling tendencies contrast with Kate and Luke's free-wheeling connection, complicating his feelings and their relationship dynamics.

💍 Engaged 🎀 Organized 😕 Conflicted

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:57

Major Themes – Drinking Buddies (2013)

Explore the central themes of Drinking Buddies (2013), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Relationships

The film explores the complexities of relationships, highlighting the tension between romantic commitments and deep friendships. As Kate and Luke navigate their feelings for each other, the impact of their existing partners is a constant source of conflict and emotional turmoil.

🍻 Friendship

Friendship is at the core of the story, emphasizing the importance of companionship and shared experiences. The close bond between Kate and Luke showcases the playful and supportive elements of friendship, which becomes blurred by their romantic interests.

🎉 Spontaneity

Throughout the movie, spontaneity plays a crucial role in shaping the characters' interactions and decisions. From carefree outings to impulsive late-night adventures, the physical and emotional freedom they experience significantly influences their lives.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:57

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies with relationship ambiguity like Drinking Buddies

Stories where friendship and romance blur in quiet, relatable ways.Find more movies like Drinking Buddies that explore the blurry line between friendship and romance. These films capture the quiet tension and emotional complexity of 'will-they-won't-they' dynamics in a grounded, realistic way, perfect for fans of character-driven dramedies.

yearningunrequitedrelatablerealisticrestlessobservationalcomplicatedemotional

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically follow characters navigating comfortable but undefined relationships, often complicated by existing partners or life paths. The journey revolves around internal conflict and subtle shifts in dynamic rather than dramatic confrontations, often concluding with open-ended resolutions that reflect real-life uncertainty.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a commitment to portraying relationship dynamics with emotional honesty. They connect through their focus on quiet yearning, relatable dilemmas, and a tone that balances lighthearted camaraderie with the bittersweet frustration of unacknowledged feelings.

Workplace dramedies with a realistic vibe like Drinking Buddies

Character studies where the professional world reflects personal struggles.If you liked the laid-back brewery setting and observational style of Drinking Buddies, explore these other workplace-centric films. These movies use a professional environment to frame relatable stories about friendship, personal dilemmas, and the search for meaning in modern life.

laid-backobservationalrelatablerealisticyearningprofessional lifecamaraderieeveryday

Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread unfold through the rhythms and interactions of a specific job or workplace. The narrative uses this environment to naturally bring characters together, creating a sense of authentic community where personal conflicts and triumphs play out alongside professional duties, often leading to significant self-discovery.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their use of a workplace as an integral element of the story's mood and character dynamics. They share a laid-back, observational feel, medium emotional weight, and a focus on how our jobs shape our relationships and personal journeys.

Unlock the Full Story of Drinking Buddies

Don't stop at just watching — explore Drinking Buddies in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Drinking Buddies is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Drinking Buddies Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Drinking Buddies, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Drinking Buddies Summary

Drinking Buddies Timeline

Track the full timeline of Drinking Buddies with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Drinking Buddies Timeline

Drinking Buddies Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Drinking Buddies that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Drinking Buddies Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Drinking Buddies

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Drinking Buddies: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Drinking Buddies

Similar Movies to Drinking Buddies

Discover movies like Drinking Buddies that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.