Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- witty
- intimate
- christmas viewing
- quiet evening
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chet serves aging regulars who have nowhere else to go during the days before Christmas.
Chet is explicitly described as being in a state of extended arrested development while working and caring for others.
The struggling dive bar is the regulars' primary gathering place, and they rely on Chet for more than drinks.
Chet must actively muster Christmas spirit while balancing his own naive desires against the needs of misanthropic aging patrons.
Films like Drink and Be Merry, and why
The Station Agent
Shares intimate dramedy, isolated adult characters, found-family warmth, and understated emotional humor.
The Holdovers
Shares a Christmas setting, abrasive adults, loneliness, and gradually emerging tenderness beneath dry comedy.
Trees Lounge
Shares barroom drama, alcoholism, arrested adulthood, and a bleakly comic portrait of self-destructive community.
Leaving Las Vegas
Shares alcohol-centered character drama, melancholic intimacy, and emotionally damaged adults seeking connection.
Movie Details
- Director
- Adam Volerich
- Release Date
- 2025-06-06
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 8.2 / 10 (4)
Cast
- Jefferson White
- Siobhan Fallon Hogan
- Sophie Zucker
- Griffin Newman
- Delaney Williams
- Billy Smith
- Brian Anthony Wilson
- Pamela Jayne Morgan
- Shawn Christensen
- Casey Wortmann
Common questions
- What is Drink and Be Merry about?
- A stalled New York bartender discovers that keeping a lonely Christmas bar alive means becoming its reluctant caretaker and emotional anchor.
- What is Drink and Be Merry like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Drink and Be Merry as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Drink and Be Merry violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Drink and Be Merry.
- Which films are like Drink and Be Merry?
- Films with a similar feel include The Station Agent, The Holdovers, Trees Lounge, and Leaving Las Vegas.
- How long is Drink and Be Merry?
- Drink and Be Merry runs 95 minutes.
