Project X: A truly awful ‘comedy’ inspired by an infamous party hits Netflix- Web Series News

Project X (18+, 88mins) Directed by Nima Nourizadeh *½

Hard to believe now, but there was a time when insurance companies like AMI were cool and the House of Pain meant something very different to Otago rugby.

Back in those halcyon days of the late 1990s, both organisations captured New Zealanders’ attention with campaigns around the holding of the “greatest party ever”. The parties at Kelly and Tony Brown(e)’s were massive successes, even if some red and black interlopers came to rain on the latter.

That idea of being invited to the most outrageous soirée ever resurfaced in 2012 with perhaps the weirdest example of the found-footage craze.

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Project X aimed to put the audience front and centre at an out-of-control birthday bash. The bulk of what we witness comes from the camera of “solid shooter” Dax (Dax Flame), given the task of capturing party host Thomas Kobb’s (Thomas Mann) 17th birthday by his friends Costa (Oliver Cooper) and JB (Jonathan Daniel Brown).

 

So, for the first half of the film, we’re treated to Thomas’ departing parents laying down the Gremlins-esque rules (“Don’t go in the office, touch the car, or mess with the pool heater”) and the boys’ attempts to gather supplies and rustle up interest in their big night. As the clock hits 9.20pm, the lack of attendees has Thomas fretting, but what he hasn’t reckoned on is Costa’s blanket marketing which has included texts, emails, social networks and a radio station. In a just a few hours, North Pasadena’s Dickens St will never be the same.

Promoted as the teen equivalent of The Hangover (that film’s director Todd Phillips is a producer here), Project X was also inspired by the antics of Australian Corey Delaney, who became notorious for advertising his house party on MySpace and the resulting 500 guests causing massive property damage.

Although supposed to be a comedy, one can’t help thinking that any adults stumbling across this will find the prospect of 200 horny, drunk and high teens descending on their neighbourhood far more frightening than any devil possession or invading aliens (the usual staples of the genre).

Seriously sexist and lacking any of the underlying sweetness that gave the similarly-themed likes of American Pie or Superbad more universal appeal, most of the captured humour involves pratfalls, potty mouths and punk-ass behaviour.

This is just simply a slightly different and cheaper-looking way (you can tell they’ve crimped on production costs) of telling a story as old as Pie and even (Fast Times At) Ridgemont High.

 

The central pairing of Costa and Thomas feels like a rip-off of Michael Cera and Jonah Hill’s Superbad duo, while Project can’t muster a tenth of that movie’s wit, humour or pathos.

While the charismatic Miles Teller vainly attempts to add some star power to proceedings, perhaps worst of all, director Nima Nourizadeh can’t even stay true to the found-footage concept – the desire to sell soundtracks clearly outweighing any need for realism.

This failed Project is just a giant music video encouraging civil disobedience among those paddling in the shallow end of the gene pool.

Project X is now available to stream on Netflix.