The film is a darkly comedic look at a group of friends as they navigate the ups and downs of life in their thirties. Set against the backdrop of New Jersey's famed towns of Asbury Park and Red Bank, The Dirty Thirty confronts the existential dilemmas of soul-crushing jobs, stale relationships, the alienation of technology and finally, deciding to grow up in a world where being a boy forever is the norm. The story begins with Scott and Mark, two friends, reeling after news that their closest friend has survived a suicide attempt. The men decide to rehabilitate Will through a series of misadventures in dating, boozing and pep-talks - none of which serve to help. Instead, with the men now regressing to former states of bad behavior, the women in their life are forced to pick up the pieces and soldier on without them. As Will eventually heals his wounds he must confront the fact that he, like everyone around him, is in a state of perpetual childhood, is afraid to really grow up.—Rob Thorp
The Dirty Thirty tracks the lives of 3 friends as they navigate life in their 30s. The film opens with a near-suicide of Will, the film's central character. As he recovers, his two closest friends, Scott and Mark, enact a plan to get Will back on his feet. The ill-conceived rescue mission backfires, causing Mark and Scott to begin to question their own status quo lives and in the process, regress from living as adults. Mark, married to his college girlfriend, Melanie has particularly pressing issues, a baby on the way. At home Melanie, happy to see Mark enjoying life again, and elevated past work-centered depression, eventually grows frustrated with his lack of responsibility and confronts him, offering no choice but for him to recommit. Scott, invested in a long term relationship, sees his once glory-filled bachelor life slip from him upon his girlfriend's moving in and reordering of his life. Madison, eager to begin a new life with Scott, becomes disillusioned with what she sees before her: a man only pretending to be an adult and seeking eternal youth from his misadventures with Will and Mark. Scott, locates a new distraction in the form of Ashley, a young and beautiful bohemian and eventually dives head first into an affair with her. The film completes with Will, once broken, openly confronting his painful past breakup, and, the friends who stand in his way of finding true healing. Scott and Mark eventually make some inroads toward their open futures, with Mark returning to Melanie with renewed energy, and Scott, left by both women, to see his faults laid bare. The film ends with all three men gathered together, celebrating Will's birthday.
