Joe Swanberg first made a splash in 2005 with a slew of mumblecore flicks. You know, those features with no-name casts and dialogue sequences that make Woody Allen’s output resemble Michael Bay’s latest. Kissing On The Mouth and Hannah Takes The Stairs are but two of Swanberg’s contributions to the ‘core canon. Since then he’s segued into broader stories twinned with bigger budgets and starrier casts. His upcoming Drinking Buddies lands firmly in that category with a brand schpankin’ new trailer for you to feast your eyes on.
While it’s certainly not a blockbuster, Drinking Buddies owes a lot to Swanberg’s earlier work. With the exception of its barrage of well-known acting talent: Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, Jake Johnson and Ron Livingston. The story revolves around Luke (Johnson) and Kate (Wilde), two brewery co-workers who resist the undeniable chemistry which flares up whenever the two are together.
The preview doesn’t spoil too much of the plot, although it’s easy to see where the story is headed. Wilde and Johnson have a chockload of sexual tension built up while they riff off each other with Wilde knocking out some witty one-liners.
Debuting earlier this year at South by Southwest, the film landed rave reviews. It scored high marks for its tendency towards honest dialogue, a lot of which was improvised by the cast.
Check out the plot summary below:
Luke and Kate are co-workers at a Chicago brewery, where they spend their days drinking and flirting. They’re perfect for each other, except that they’re both in relationships. Luke is in the midst of marriage talks with his girlfriend of six years, Kate is playing it cool with her music producer boyfriend Chris. But you know what makes the line between “friends” and “more than friends” really blurry? Beer.
Drinking Buddies arrives on VOD July 25th and cinemas on August 23rd.
