The entire film was made without a script, making it an impressive feat of improvisation.
Making a movie is tough enough when actors have a detailed script in hand, guiding them through every line and scene. So when you hear that certain moments in a film were improvised, it’s pretty impressive.
But what’s even more impressive is when an entire movie is improvised from start to finish, like this one from 2013, starring Olivia Wilde and Anna Kendrick, now streaming on Netflix.
While the actors had some basic plot points to hit and knew where the story needed to go, the dialogue and many moments in between were entirely made up by the cast as they went along.
Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, and Jake Johnson star in the 2013 film
Magnolia Pictures
This includes a scene where Olivia Wilde’s character goes nude, which she revealed was an improvisation on her part during an interview. The movie joins a small group of films like This is Spinal Tap and My Son starring James McAvoy, which were also completely improvised.
The actors, although given the key moments of the plot, created everything else in real-time, including the dialogue. This creative freedom allowed the actors to shape their characters more deeply and bring a natural flow to the scenes.
If you watch the trailer, you might be surprised to learn it’s all improvised.
The movie, Drinking Buddies, features Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, and Ron Livingston as two couples.
The story follows Wilde and Johnson’s characters, who are close work friends, or as some people might call it, ‘work spouses’.
The plot thickens when the two couples hang out together outside of work and go on a weekend trip.
The improvisation adds an extra layer of realism to the awkward, yet funny, dynamics between the couples.
Things really heat up when Wilde’s character, Kate, unexpectedly runs into the ocean and skinny dips in front of Johnson’s character, Luke.
The spontaneity of moments like these is what makes the film so interesting.
Each actor had the freedom to pick their own character names and played a big role in developing the personalities we see on screen.
This creative freedom makes the movie feel less like a typical rom-com and more like a slice of real life.
She made the character’s impulsive choice herself
Magnolia Pictures
In an interview with Uproxx, Wilde responded to criticism of director Joe Swanberg, who often includes nudity in his films.
She clarified that the skinny dipping scene was entirely her idea because it felt natural for the character at that moment.
Wilde explained: “I didn’t feel conflicted. That is the magic moment [Kate’s] been waiting for, where she is offering herself, quite literally, to [Luke]. She’s being so inappropriate, and she knows it.”
She went on to say that she would have fought for the scene if the director had objected, believing it was important to the character’s story.
“And if Joe had said it’s too inappropriate, like ‘If you’re nude it’d be too jarring,’ I would have fought for it.”
When the movie was released, it received solid reviews. It holds an 84 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is no small feat for a largely improvised film.
Francesca Steele from The Independent commented on the film’s unique marketing, saying:
“Drinking Buddies could suffer a little from its marketing, which may suggest to some audiences that it is just a regular rom com.”
Drinking Buddies is streaming on Netflix now
Magnolia Pictures
“But luckily, it is nothing like that. It is something much, much better.”
Robbie Collin from The Daily Telegraph also praised the film, highlighting its thoughtful approach:
“This is thoughtful film-making with a keen sense of humour, and we can all drink to that.”
So if you’re curious, Drinking Buddies is currently available to stream on Netflix