Reviews

Project X

Starring Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown
Directed by Nima Nourizadeh
Rating: MA

Project X How many of you have ever thought of throwing a party at your house as soon as your parents are out of town? I know I have, and probably would do if I thought I could get away with it.

I think whether teenagers admit it or not, it’s something that they would like to do. Hollywood recognises this and plays off it, and as a result there are a number of movies that deal with this dream.

Not many movies however, deal with the consequences of getting caught. Project X is one of those rare movies that does. The idea that you would throw a party to gain popularity is a notion that sits easily with many teenagers, myself included, and as such Project X is a teenage party movie that is an enjoyable eighty-minute flick.

The plot centres on the clichéd idea that once Thomas’s (Mann) parents leave town his best friends JB (Brown) and Costa (Cooper) decide that what he needs to improve their popularity is for them to throw him a massive party to which the whole school is invited.

Thomas is hesitant at first, but then agrees. However, his friends do not tell him that they published the time of the party and the address of his house online. What ensues is a night of chaos, partying and shenanigans. While the trope of house party madness has been overused, it is here that director Nima Nourizaedeh must be given credit for his creativeness in some of the craziness that goes down. I don’t want to wreck some of the more out-there surprises, but I will say that there is a particularly memorable scene in which a dog is tied to 200 balloons and has to be rescued.

It should be strongly cautioned however that this movie is well deserving of its MA rating. Sexual content, drug use and alcohol use are all frequent in this film and viewer discretion should definitely be advised, especially for younger people.

It is also interesting to note that the entire film incorporates the use of a handycam, but I’m pleased to say that it is put to good use. The viewer actually feels like they are at the party, and the film successfully pulls off a sense of professionalism.

The sequence of events leading up to the end of the film is shocking and unexpected and will have you holding your breath and rooting for the characters until the final scene.

As I previously mentioned, Project X is one of the few films in this genre that deals with the after party aftermath, and for that it has to be commended. Too many films only look at the fun aspect of throwing a massive party and end up "forgetting" what comes afterwards, but the way the characters are punished is realistic and almost enough for any wannabe party animals to reconsider their plans. Almost.

The characters are believable and relatable, and anyone that has ever wanted to throw a party that no one would ever forget, or wanted to be just that little bit more popular (and let’s be honest here, we all have) will enjoy this flick. Watch out for the behaviour and mannerisms of the cameraman - the questions about what really happened in his past will keep you wondering long after the film is over.

This movie really is a lot of fun and I’m sure it will inspire a few crazy ideas or two. Project X is a film that makes you want to go out and throw an insane party of your own in an effort to match their party.

4 and a half out of 5.

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