Shovel Buddies

Shovel Buddies

Year: 2016

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Directors: Simon Atkinson, Adam Townley

Drama

Friendship Never Dies. A group of friends attempt to successfully complete a list of tasks assigned to them as the “Shovel List” by their dead friend.

Bittersweet
Bittersweet ending
Emotionally heavy
Medium intensity
Fast pacing
Simple story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Shovel Buddies (2016)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Shovel Buddies (2016). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

The events unfold in contemporary times, with smartphones and video clues shaping the urgency and stakes. The mood and actions reflect a modern suburban setting, where a funeral, a road trip, and encounters with law enforcement feel immediate and current. The timeline moves from mourning to impulsive action, culminating in dawn at the construction site.

Location

Funeral Home, Hills near Stadium Construction Site, Hardware Store, Liquor Store, Roadways

The central settings revolve around a small-town funeral home where Sammy's body is to be cremated, anchoring the group's attempt to honor his last wishes. From the funeral path up toward the hills and the stadium construction site, the friends move through a sequence of locations (hardware and liquor stores, patrols by police) as their plan unfolds. The environment blends private grief with public spaces, highlighting how ordinary places become stages for an extraordinary act.

⚰️ Funeral 🏗️ Construction 🛒 Liquor Store 🚓 Police 🗺️ Road Trip

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:16

Main Characters – Shovel Buddies (2016)

Meet the key characters of Shovel Buddies (2016), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jimmy (Alex Neustaedter)

Jimmy is a determined, sometimes impulsive friend who pushes the group to fulfill Sammy's last wish. He bears guilt over Sammy's death and tries to keep the plan together, even when emotions flare. He acts as a de facto leader, persuading others and coordinating steps, while navigating tension with Dan and Kate.

🤝 Loyalty 💔 Grief 🧭 Leadership

Kate (Bella Thorne)

Kate joins the mission after stepping out of the family home, showing fierce loyalty to Sammy and willingness to take risks. She balances sentiment with practicality, confronting Jimmy and driving the group forward despite the danger. Her presence intensifies the emotional stakes of the plan.

💖 Sibling Love 🧭 Loyalty ⚡ Courage

Lump (Anton Starkman)

Lump is a younger, supportive friend whose presence anchors the trio. He participates in the plan and endures the physical and emotional toll, showing resilience even as the risk escalates. His reactions and injuries reflect the volatility of their quest.

🧭 Loyalty 💪 Resilience 🩹 Vulnerability

Dan (Kian Lawley)

Dan is Sammy's memory's focal point, marked by jealousy of Jimmy and a moral conflict about the plan. He doubts the authenticity of the will and wrestles with the line between honor and recklessness. Over the course of the journey, he is forced to confront his own feelings and memories.

💔 Jealousy 💬 Debate 🛡️ Protector

Sammy (Philip Labes)

Sammy is the recently deceased best friend whose will and memory drive the plot. His death from leukemia casts a pall over the group and his jersey becomes a symbol they fight to bury with him. Though absent in body, his presence shapes every decision and emotional turn.

🕯️ Memory 🧵 Legacy 💙 Friendship

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:16

Major Themes – Shovel Buddies (2016)

Explore the central themes of Shovel Buddies (2016), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕯️ Grief & Memory

The group's shared grief over Sammy's death drives them to honor his memory in a bold, risky plan. Their bond deepens as memories of Sammy surface during their pursuit, shaping decisions and tensions. The act of memorializing him becomes a test of friendship, loyalty, and the desire to preserve what was lost.

🤝 Loyalty

The friends' loyalty pushes them beyond comfortable boundaries as they chase Sammy's final wish. Jealousy and guilt surface, straining trust yet also reinforcing their commitment to one another. The plan exposes both the strength and fragility of their connections.

⚰️ Mortality & Ritual

Sammy's death forces a confrontation with mortality and the need for ritual. The decision to bury him with his jersey turns memory into a concrete gesture, a ritual meant to grant him peace. The group's actions orbit around this fragile ritual and the consequences they must face.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:16

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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 about grief-fueled quests like Shovel Buddies

Stories of friends racing against time to fulfill a final promise to the departed.If the high-stakes, emotionally charged mission in Shovel Buddies resonated with you, explore these movies about friends honoring a lost loved one. Discover similar stories where grief manifests as a desperate, urgent quest, blending drama, friendship, and a bittersweet journey toward closure.

grievingurgentdeterminedrecklesscamaraderiesombermelancholic

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a triggering death or loss that sets a group on a specific, often dangerous, path. The plot is linear and mission-oriented, with external conflicts (like evading authorities or overcoming obstacles) mirroring the internal struggles of guilt and grief. The journey forces characters to confront their pain directly, leading to a resolution that acknowledges the loss but finds a sliver of hope in their shared experience.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their core premise: using an action-driven quest as the primary mechanism for coping with grief. They share a bittersweet tone, fast pacing fueled by urgency, and a heavy emotional weight centered on friendship and loss. The experience is a mix of melancholic reflection and determined, almost reckless, action.

Bittersweet coming-of-age movies similar to Shovel Buddies

Young friendships tested by a traumatic event that forces a premature leap into adulthood.For viewers who liked the intense, grief-stricken coming-of-age journey in Shovel Buddies, this list features similar films. Find other movies about young friends confronting mortality and trauma, where a single catastrophic event accelerates their path to adulthood in a bittersweet, emotionally heavy story.

somberurgentgrievingcoming of agerecklessdeterminedmelancholic

Narrative Summary

Narratives begin with a stable group dynamic that is violently disrupted by death, accident, or trauma. The characters react not with quiet mourning, but with chaotic, action-oriented attempts to reclaim agency, often breaking rules and facing danger. This external chaos reflects their internal turmoil, and the story arc is about surviving the ordeal and emerging forever changed, having lost their innocence but solidified their bonds.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their focus on a specific, intense coming-of-age catalyst: a traumatic loss. They share a somber and urgent mood, a fast pace driven by reactive behavior, and a fundamentally bittersweet feel where childhood's end is marked by pain but also profound loyalty. The emotional weight is consistently heavy.

Unlock the Full Story of Shovel Buddies

Don't stop at just watching — explore Shovel 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 Shovel Buddies is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Shovel Buddies Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Shovel 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.

Shovel Buddies Summary

Shovel Buddies Timeline

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

Shovel Buddies Timeline

Shovel Buddies Spoiler-Free Summary

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Shovel Buddies Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Shovel Buddies

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Shovel Buddies (2016) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Shovel Buddies (2016) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

Shovel Buddies (2016) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow