What if you could throw the ultimate high school party that would be remembered for years to come, that ended with your father’s car in the pool and thousands of people chanting your name, “Project X” is that party. If you’re looking for an engaging story with great character development look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for a fast and entertaining party movie “Project X” delivers.
Project X follows high school seniors Thomas, J.B. and Costa as they try to throw the ultimate high school party. The movie is filmed as if it was a documentary that records the chaotic events of the night. The movie starts out with witty one-liners, “Till the break of dawn YO!” but as the party hits it becomes less about the jokes and more about the party. Thomas (Thomas Mann) the main character of the movie is a timid and shy kid who dreams of being cool by throwing the ultimate party. He is helped by his friend Costa (Oliver Cooper) who turns a small birthday party into the bash of the century. But as the night continues the problems get worse and end up escalating to an ending party the boys could never forget.
Project X was produced by Todd Philips, whose past films include “The Hangover”, and written by Matt Drake & Michael Bacall. When Todd Philips name is mentioned many comparisons will be drawn to movies like The Hangover and Superbad. If you go into the movie hoping for another “Hangover”-esque comedy you will be disappointed because the witty humor and engaging story of those movies are no where to be found in a movie with a plot which follows a drunken party. “The Hangover” and “Superbad” relied on being funny through their clever writing and engaging characters. While “Project X” is classified under the spectrum of a comedy, it is more of a thriller than anything else. “Project X” can be compared to a rollercoaster ride the way it brings you soaring to great highs and then drops down to devastating lows. This movie will make you laugh, but you’ll be more entertained by what’s happening at the party than the attempted jokes. All the actors involved in Project X are unknown purposely. The director and writers held open auditions throughout the country to find low key actors to portray the famed party as if it was a true documentary. Using unknown actors works surprisingly well, making the characters in the film much more relatable to teenagers compared to other party movies.
“Project X” takes a unique approach to its filming through the eyes of a documentary style film. This adds to the overall experience of the film giving the viewer a sense that the party is actually happening in front of their eyes. The videography and soundtrack add to the movie tremendously with songs from artists like Kid Cudi and Wiz Khalifa. By the end of the movie you feel like you are actually at the party.
While “Project X” is enjoyable, you will see all the faults upon stepping out of the theater. The story is lackluster and the characters are forgettable; on the surface this movie is one big flop. However the movie has done well at the box office because this movie is about the craziest party the writers could possibly think of and in that respect the movie succeeds on many levels. The movie provides entertainment, making it difficult to look away from the screen. It is not just a party movie; it is rather THE party movie and while it does not always live up the hype of a comedy, it does accomplish the goal of being the best party movie to date. This movie has an “R” rating for a reason: if you are not 17 or older you will not be allowed entrance to this movie. It contains intense scenes of nudity, drugs and alcohol, but for the lucky seniors and juniors that are old enough, it is one heck of a ride.