"The Dinner" starts as Paul and Claire Lohman (Coogan, Linney) get ready for a dinner with Paul's politician brother Stan (Gere) and his wife Barbara (Hall). Tensions already exist between the two brothers - Stan is a smooth-talking celebrity who is the favorite to win the governor's race, while Paul has a chip on his shoulder and is currently not working.

But, as the evening in a chic restaurant progresses, dark secrets emerge about their respective children. A monstrous crime has been committed by the Lohman kids and the two couples are divided about how to handle the situation.