Summary
Movies like Project X showcase wild parties and unbreakable youth friendships over the course of one chaotic night.
The film revitalized the partying subgenre by playing with teen comedy tropes and adapting conventions to a found footage style.
Project X’s influence on pop culture has been significant, inspiring real-life teens to throw wild parties and offering a unique viewing experience.
Movies like Project X deliver the wild parties and the unbreakable friendship of youth. The 2012 film takes place over the course of one night while following Thomas, Costa, and J.B., three unpopular high school seniors committed to throwing the party of their lives. What seems like the trio’s final attempt to do something remarkable during their school years quickly goes off the rails, with the party growing increasingly absurd and out of hand.
Project X wasn’t the first comedy about non-stop partying, but it helped revitalize the subgenre. The film is produced by Todd Phillips, who directed The Hangover franchise, and its influence on pop culture was so great it has been cited by many real-life teens as their inspiration for throwing wild parties (via The Dallas Morning News). By playing with the most-used teen comedy tropes, Project X adapts typical conventions to a found footage style, delivering a one-of-a-kind movie. However, those looking to find similar movies with big laughs and party vibes still have plenty of options.
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Project X
was the most pirated movie of 2012.
10 The Hangover (2009)
Three Men Search For A Missing Groom Following A Bachelor Party Gone Wrong
The Hangover shares many similarities with Project X despite going in the opposite direction: while Project X follows a party spiraling out of control, The Hangover is set in the aftermath of the party. After what was supposed to be a typical Las Vegas bachelor party, friends Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up to find Doug, the groom, missing. What’s more, there’s a baby in their closet and a tiger in their bathroom. As the Wolfpack desperately tries to understand what happened the night before and race against time to save a wedding, problems only stack up.
The Hangover has a spectacular cast and feels like a hilarious puzzle, consistently surprising the audience by upping the ante. Similar to the way Project X deals with the unpredictability of a party, introducing a scenario where anything can happen, The Hangover unfolds a chaotic night that only gets worse as the characters dig deeper. Despite the two sequels being letdowns, there are hopes for a possible Hangover 4.
The Hangover
Director Todd Phillips
Release Date June 5, 2009
Cast Ed Helms , Heather Graham , Justin Bartha , Zach Galifianakis , Bradley Cooper , Jeffrey Tambor
Runtime 100 minutes
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9 Superbad (2007)
Three Friends Encounter Endless Misadventures On Their Way To A Party
Both Superbad and Project X nail the concept of a seemingly endless night, introducing unpopular seniors Evan and Seth who are bonded by a common goal: to make a name for themselves at the party of their lives. The difference is that the Superbad characters spend most of the movie trying to get to said party. The number of absurdities and peculiar characters that get in the teens’ way is hilarious, as the party becomes a seemingly unattainable final destination. As one of the movies to define the millennial generation, there would be no Project X without Superbad.
Superbad is considered a classic movie despite only being released in 2007. Even though the characters of both Superbad and Project X are engaging and funny, both movies are predominantly similar when the humor constantly evolves: as the hangout snowballs into an absolute nightmare, a series of hilarious circumstances forces the teens out of their comfort zone. There’s a specific point of “no return” when the characters realize they went through so much that it can’t get worse: they just go along with it.
Superbad
Director Greg Mottola
Release Date August 17, 2007
Runtime 113 minutes
Superbad
was initially going to star Seth Rogen and Jason Segel as the young leads until they got too old.
8 Booksmart (2019)
Two Academically Talented Girls Attempt To Enjoy High School For The First Time
Booksmart is a recent comedy that explores Project X’s style from the perspective of two teen girls. The movie revolves around Amy and Molly, two high-school seniors who realize they wasted years of their lives refusing to have fun, always putting studies first. As their school year draws to a close, the two finally decide to work less and play more, setting out for an unforgettable night of fun.
Booksmart is a movie that positively represents queer love and uses the party scenario to address relevant topics such as sexuality and social anxiety. The teen comedy always maintains a funny, lighthearted tone that is also present in Project X. Although the focus is on the hangout storyline, the setup in the high school environment is just as funny and engaging, adding layers of nostalgia.
Booksmart
Director Olivia Wilde
Release Date May 24, 2019
Cast Lisa Kudrow , Michael Patrick O’Brien , Beanie Feldstein , Diana Silvers , Will Forte , Eduardo Franco , Kaitlyn Dever , Mason Gooding , Jessica Williams , Molly Gordon , Noah Galvin , Jason Sudeikis , Billie Lourd , Skyler Gisondo
Runtime 105 minutes
Watch on Peacock
7 21 & Over (2013)
An Aspiring Med Student Is Convinced To Let Loose On His Birthday
Project X is an ode to irresponsibility, with the characters completely rejecting morality and letting go of everything they once knew as right. 21 & Over takes the subject one step further, getting rid of the high school scenario to address maturity and transition to adulthood. In the film, the rational and highly intelligent student Jeff Chang shows up to a seemingly innocent birthday celebration before the most important interview of his life. However, the small gathering quickly snowballs into a night of non-stop booze and debauchery.
While not one of Miles Teller’s best movies, like Project X, 21 & Over is constantly reminding its audiences about the worst that can happen, working around the comical setup with effective levels of tension, as Chang cannot, under any circumstances, miss his interview. Similarly, Project X’s Thomas is constantly repeating that the house must be kept tidy and clean. These hints only make the consequences of the main characters’ reckless actions funnier, leading up to a great punch line.
Watch on Hulu
6 Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
A Self-Conscious High Schooler Plans To Woo The Girl Of His Dreams At A Party
Project X is a movie that encapsulates the 2010s in every frame, from the digital-looking aspect of the found footage style to slang and pop culture references. Can’t Hardly Wait is the film’s 1990s counterpart, introducing the high school dynamics of that time through an unforgettable party on graduation day.
…captures
Project X’s
feeling of the endless potential of being young and going for something seemingly out of reach.
Can’t Hardly Wait has many likable characters who get themselves into a succession of increasingly ridiculous. The fashion defines the decade, as does the film’s main cast, from Jennifer Love Hewitt to Seth Green. However, at its center, the movie captures Project X’s feeling of the endless potential of being young and going for something seemingly out of reach.
Can’t Hardly Wait
Director Deborah Kaplan , Harry Elfont
Release Date June 12, 1998
Cast Ethan Embry , Charlie Korsmo , Lauren Ambrose , Peter Facinelli , Seth Green , Jennifer Love Hewitt
Runtime 101 Minutes
5 Dazed And Confused (1993)
High Schoolers Of Different Social Circles Search For A Party On The Last Day Of School
Just like Project X, Dazed and Confused revolves entirely around a hangout, following the perspectives of high school freshmen and seniors on a night of drinking, music, and sex. Directed by Richard Linklater, the film is charming and realistic, offering an easy-going sense of humor that relies heavily on the interactions between characters.
While the classic ’90s teen comedy is much more down to earth than Project X, both movies effectively play with the idea of a never-ending hangout, complemented by great uses of music in Dazed and Confused. The movie also helped kickstart the careers of young Hollywood actors like Ben Affleck, Cole Hauser, and Matthew McConaughey.
4 This Is The End (2013)
A Star-Studded Party Turns Into The End Of Days
The events that occur in Project X might seem exaggerated, but they don’t come even close to the absurdities that take place at This Is The End’s party. The movie is an interesting meta-project that features renowned comedy actors playing themselves at a celebration at James Franco’s house. The booze and the glamour of the party are suddenly interrupted when the celebrities face an actual apocalypse as the world begins to end.
Besides the hilarious chemistry between the star-studded cast, This Is The End utilizes graphic violence as an efficient comedic tool, escalating the level of danger in a hilarious fashion. Just like Project X, This Is The End has incredible movie references and doesn’t miss the chance to pay homage to the movies that inspired it. Additionally, it might be one of the best comedies about a party that spins out of control, as it’s impossible to tell what will happen next.
This is the End
Release Date September 12, 2013
Cast Seth Rogen , James Franco , Jonah Hill , Michael Cera
Runtime 107minutes
The original idea for the ending of
This is the End
included Morgan Freeman playing God.
Watch on Prime Video
3 Old School (2003)
Todd Phillips Directs The Comedy About Middle-Aged Men Start A College Fraternity
Before stepping into the dark comic book material of Joker, Todd Phillips was mostly known for these wild R-rated comedies like Project X. Before producing that movie or making The Hangover, he showed his affection for the genre with the hilarious Old School. Project X followed its format of three male leads with Old School getting great chemistry out of Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Will Ferrell.
It is hilarious seeing these older characters taking part in the same mayhem as the
Project X
characters.
While Project X shows the wild times of youth, Old School has a lot of fun with middle-aged men trying desperately to recapture some of that youth as the three men start a college fraternity despite being middle-aged. It is especially hilarious seeing these older characters taking part in the same mayhem as the Project X characters, with their first party culminating in the infamous moment of Will Ferrell doing a solo naked run.
Old School
Director Todd Phillips
Release Date February 21, 2003
Cast Vince Vaughn , Jeremy Piven , Will Ferrell , Ellen Pompeo , Luke Wilson
Runtime 88 minutes
Watch on Paramount+
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2 The Night Before (2015)
Three Friends Go On A Naughty Christmas Eve Adventure
Like Old School and The Hangover, The Night Before offers the same wild party antics as Project X while focusing on older characters. The trio for this comedy is Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie as three best friends who are driven apart by the responsibilities of adulthood but decide to reunite for one final Christmas Eve celebration where they seek out a legendary party.
The holiday twist on the R-rated party comedy is a lot of fun and the movie captures Project X’s combination of hilarious debauchery and surprisingly sweet moments of friendship. The climactic party doesn’t disappoint either as it features James Franco, Miley Cyrus, and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon playing a Christmas angel.
The Night Before
Director Jonathan Levine
Release Date November 25, 2015
Runtime 101minutes
Watch on Starz
1 National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
A Comedy Classic About A Fun-Loving Frat House
Project X and every other R-rated party comedy owes something to Animal House as it was one of the first comedies to feel like an actual party. The first movie launched by the legendary National Lampoon comedy magazine, the movie follows the infamous Delta House, a fraternity at Faber College whose only goals are to have the wildest parties and the worst grade point averages.
The movie is less of a structured plot and more a series of scenes showing the hilarious misadventures these fun-loving students get up to. John Belushi is a standout of the talented young cast as the frat’s true party animal. While there are many examples of the fun energy the movie provides, the legendary toga party is the most entertaining, and like Project X, inspired real-life partiers for decades to follow.
Animal House
Director John Landis
Release Date July 28, 1978
Cast Peter Riegert , Tom Hulce , Tim Matheson , John Vernon , Donald Sutherland , John Belushi
Runtime 109 minutes
Watch on Netflix