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.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Shovel 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 – Shovel Buddies (2016)

Trace every key event in Shovel Buddies (2016) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Sammy's funeral ceremony begins

The community gathers to mourn Sammy's death from leukemia at the funeral home. The ceremony is heavy with grief and unspoken guilt among the friends. Each person struggles to reconcile Sammy's absence with the people they are becoming.

Afternoon Funeral Home
2

Video reveals Sammy's last wish

A video left on Sammy's phone reveals his dying wish to be buried with his jersey. The mood shifts from sorrow to a stubborn determination to honor his memory. Sammy's parents question the video’s authenticity, adding tension to the plan.

Late afternoon Funeral Home viewing room
3

The plan forms to honor Sammy's wish

Despite Sammy's parents' doubts, the group resolves to fulfill his last wish. Kate decides to join, strengthening the foursome. They commit to retrieving Sammy's body and starting the journey with his jersey as a pledge.

Evening Sammy's family home
4

They head to the funeral home ready to retrieve the body

The four travel toward the funeral home wearing Sammy's jersey as a pledge. They prepare to retrieve Sammy's body, aware of the risks and the potential consequences. Tension builds as they approach the site.

Night Funeral Home
5

The body is retrieved; police are alerted

They manage to retrieve Sammy's body from the funeral home, symbolized by the jersey they wear. The funeral home owner calls the police, escalating the danger for everyone involved. The group steels themselves for the challenges ahead.

Night Funeral Home
6

Hardware store burglary for digging tools

To prepare for the burial plan, they burglarize a hardware store to obtain digging tools. The theft draws more police attention and tests their loyalty to Sammy. They press on despite the risk.

Night Hardware Store
7

Journey toward hills turns toward stadium construction site

The group drives toward where they will bury Sammy, but the soil proves stubborn, forcing a change of plan. They pivot to the construction site of a school stadium as a new burial location. Their resolve is tested by the mile and the weight of their mission.

Late Night Hills / Stadium Construction Site
8

Liquor store stop and police sighting

They stop at a liquor shop to grab supplies, drawing the notice of a passing police officer. A tense escape follows as they narrowly elude capture. The close call heightens the stakes for their mission.

Late Night Liquor Store
9

Road confrontation between Dan and Jimmy

On the road, Dan confronts Jimmy about Sammy's memory and Jimmy's role in what happened. The argument strains their fragile friendship, but they push onward. The tension underscores how memory and loyalty clash with grief.

Late Night On the road
10

Car crash at a red light

A red light forces Jimmy to swerve; the car tilts and rolls. Dan carries Sammy's body while Lump sustains a hurt arm, increasing the emotional burden on the group. The crash forces a pause as they reassess their plan.

Late Night Road
11

Sammy's father's confrontation and permission

Sammy's father interrogates Jimmy, testing the sincerity of their mission. After a tense exchange, he grants cautious permission to continue honoring Sammy's wishes. The group carries on with renewed but wary resolve.

Following morning Sammy's father's home
12

Ambulance theft and regrouping

They steal an ambulance used to treat Kate and Lump, adding danger to their pursuit. They regroup and catch up with Dan, preparing to finish the burial. The bond among the friends remains stubbornly intact.

Night Ambulance / Roadside
13

Final burial at the stadium construction site

The group returns to the stadium construction site to complete Sammy's burial, pushing through exhaustion and fear. They lay Sammy to rest beneath the dawn light, with his jersey buried alongside him. The act seals their complicated pact of grief and loyalty.

Dawn Stadium Construction Site
14

Dawn reflection and the homeward question

As the sun rises, the four friends share a quiet moment and reflect on their actions. Jimmy asks, "How do you guys want to get home?", a line that cements their fragile camaraderie. The jersey becomes a lasting symbol of their friendship and the path they walked.

Dawn Stadium Construction Site

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:46

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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

Characters, Settings & Themes in Shovel Buddies

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Shovel Buddies. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Shovel Buddies

Shovel Buddies Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Shovel 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.

Shovel Buddies Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Shovel Buddies

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Shovel 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.

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