Project X

Lord of the Flies meets Sodom and Gomorrah in this teen-fest flick produced by The Hangover’s Todd Phillips.

Youths gone wild? Crazy teens in revolt? Or are they just being 21st century kids?

Set in humble, homely and comfortable suburban Pasadena, young outcast Thomas (Thomas Mann) is about to become a man by turning 18. To celebrate, his two mates, Costa (Oliver Cooper) and JB (Jonathan Daniel Brown), help him throw a party.

But apparently, being at the tail-end of the school popularity scale doesn’t come with many friends so Costa decides to take advantage of social media and blast Thomas’ party everywhere for his peers to see.

Aided by the fact that Thomas’ parents are away for the weekend, the three lads not only want the party to be a success but they want to get some female action as well. So with the help of some illegal substances and a flippin’ the bird gnome, the boys arrange the house to set themselves up for what they hope to be a game-changing party.

What ensues is an hour of complete and utter carnage. The crowds turn up only to tear the place apart. Laced with bubbling hormones, a plethora of half-naked women and blokes who think “they’re the man”, this film only gets worse with every minute. The last half-hour is especially awkward to watch but curiosity keeps one perving.

This is a party where there is no safety in numbers and I was on the edge of my seat expecting the worst to happen. And it sure did and then some.

Sure, critics are going to berate this film because of its blatant sexism, use of drugs and portrayal of teens as nothing but addicted hedonistic pods but truth of the matter is that some kids are like that even if it’s for one night.

I’m glad I didn’t attend this party but I can see how the handheld action of this MTV music video-styled film can be enticing to some. Equipped with a soundtrack full of R’n’B goodness and lots of jaw-dropping moments, this is a movie full of teens who love to play young, wild and free.

I give it 2.5 out of 5.

INFO: Kylan Luke-McKeen is the presenter and film reviewer for Kiss My Arts on JOY94.9 (Mondays 9-10pm). You can view his work and other film reviews at www.kylanmckeen.com

88mins
Rating: MA
Director: Nima Nourizadeh
Distributor: Roadshow Films
Cast: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown