Think of the most incredible party you could ever dream of and then multiply it by 100.
The night begins, prior to the school day when the rambunctious Costa (Oliver Cooper), pursuing the ever present allure of teen sex, terrorizes his best friend and birthday boy, Thomas Kubb, hyping the idea of a night they will never forget. We witness everything through the eyes and lens of Dax Flame, whose presence is felt only by the jittery camera work, and the occasional self-portrait. The quartet is completed by J.B, the stereotypical, overweight buffoon whose intelligence is based solely on his mother’s Cosmopolitan articles.
Costa’s persuasive attitude is constant and unwavering as he relentlessly basks in his former glory days in Queens. He serves as the constant reminder of the group’s social extinction at their high school. We view South Pasadena High, full of attractive female teens, as the background of Costa’s petulant transgressions as the audience experiences a teen’s view of the opulence that is; the female teen. There is a brief exposure to Kirby, the tomboy-friend turned attractive cheerleader, who Thomas slowly discovers his affection towards. With the Kubb parents away for the weekend the only thing missing is the crowd.
Costa’s influential nature and methodical approach to marketing this party are proven once more as the droves of high school kids begin arriving. The party is plagued by a no-nonsense neighbor, an aggravated drug dealer, and crowds that overwhelm the so serious-its-funny security guards hired to keep people out of the Kubb household. With an attitude that this maybe his last day on Earth, Thomas throws caution out as his control over the situation diminishes. We see just how far a party can push the limits all while following three true friends who want to experience the unthinkable.
Though extremely fun and exciting, viewing “Project X” could come with a hangover. The “found tape” style of filming, made popular by such films as “Cloverfield” and “Chronicle”, is so abrupt and shaky that it may cause the audience to look away to keep away from getting motion sickness. As realistic as the producers were trying to be, we are constantly reminded that an inexperienced cameraman as at the helm. I found myself hoping the camera work wouldn’t continue on that just 10 minutes into the film. Unfortunately it did.
Aside from the strenuous viewing experience, the characters are (for the first time in since “The Breakfast Club”) believable as 17 and 18-year olds. The party is beyond anything expected, but still maintains a sense of realism. Nothing that happens is without consequence and, with the means and opportunity, could be recreated in any upper-class neighborhood. I would consider this film to be opposite of Todd Phillip’s “The Hangover”, while previously focusing on the adventures that happen after the party is over. “Project X” shows the audience just how much can happen between 10pm and 7am. The film was fun to experience, though hard to watch. I would recommend catching it in the theatre, while sitting as far back as possible. Maybe slip yourself some Dramamine into your cherry ICEE.
Fun trivia about “Project X”: In the order of keeping everything “real”, all of the characters use their real names for their characters, aside from “Costa” who uses a nickname he was given as a child. The party is based off a 2008 house party incident in Melbourne, Australia. 16-year old, Corey Delany threw a party for 500 people and became so wild, 30 police officers, helicopter and a dog squad were needed to subdue the revelers.