Review of Drinking Buddies (2013) by Thegodfatherson — 22 Aug 2013

'Drinking Buddies' is a lethargic look at what happens when platonic friends tip-toe the line between friendly and flirty; that they drink is merely a device in which we're given to understand their commonplace.

While the plot is essentially aimless for the first three-quarters of the movie, the actors hold your attention by slowly and gently stroking the tension, which comes to a head when Johnson's Luke helps Wilde's Gate move between Chicago apartments.

Ultimately, the stars of 'Drinking Buddies' give us some fun-enough characters to hang out with for 90 minutes. The true feelings and prerogatives of the main characters are reserved but for a few meaningful moments, of which many are apparent to the audience only.

Despite (and perhaps because of) the creative control the actors were given in terms of improvised dialogue, there's a lot of people not saying what they're thinking in this movie. It's that frustrating passive aggression that makes this film feel as authentic and at times as too-close-to-home hitting of any of Swanberg's films to date.