Imagine the most epic house rave you can think of—then multiply it times ten. That’s about what one can expect from the new flick “Project X,” a movie that celebrates the carelessness and rebellion of this bad-rep generation.
The film centers around three high school seniors, who throw a birthday house party to make a name for themselves in a school that has forever labeled them as nerds. As the night progresses and one thing leads to another, everything spirals out of control as the word gets out, leading to a headcount close to 1500 in this “quiet” suburban neighborhood. Out-smarted cops, tasered neighbors, Dad’s sunken BMW, and a fit with a flamethrower all end with a night the three boys—or anyone—will ever forget.
As far as critics are concerned, “Project X” was a complete disaster with no plot or character development. One reviewer even called it one of the worst movies ever made. I usually respect critics’ opinions, but on this one, I’m afraid we must agree to disagree.
Forget the critics—I absolutely loved this movie. The comedy wasn’t staged like most teenage party movies and felt more candid and raw. By the end, I honestly felt like just another guest at the party of the century. It glorified complete filth and debauchery, and somehow, it made for an awesome time at the movies.
The whole movie was shot by the cast via iPhones, Flip cameras, or the video camera that follows the main characters. Frankly, I winced at the thought of yet another “found-footage” film at the beginning. Movies like “Chronicle” have taken too much advantage of the art and prestige that the “Paranormal Activity” movies have established. However, this movie overtly flips all the standards and boundaries so much that I was literally worn out after seeing it.
The soundtrack absolutely blew me away, and I’m not ashamed to say that I downloaded the whole thing when I got home. It just screams party and includes remixes of many popular songs like “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. However, the movie’s climatic song that is also played on the trailer—”Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi—takes the cake and completely outlines the entire atmosphere of the party.
Like many movies, the audience who attends with you can certainly affect the outcome of the experience. I saw the movie at the midnight showing with a decently packed house who interacted with the characters and each other the whole time, shouting the most ridiculous stuff. They really do mean it when they say that the crazies come out at night.
I give “Project X” a four out of five chips. While I can see where the holes are in the plot that really irked the critics, you simply cannot see this movie without at least laughing at the midget in the oven. I really appreciated that the whole film just takes all of the negativity concerning this generation and throws it back in the older folks’ pretentious faces. A word of warning though: it is incredibly raunchy and packs in nearly everything an R-rated movie would allow. No further explanation.
