Top 30 Party Movies for Every True Reveler

A list of some of the most iconic party movies ever made
August 01, 2022
img 95
© Danny Howe / Unsplash

Friday night is here. You don’t have enough rave stamina to put on your dancing shoes – but you can have a ball from the couch with party movies’ epic blowouts. Featuring an unapologetic booziness and the kind of scenes you’ll want to tell your grandkids about, those party movies are the ultimate crowd pleaser. 

Whether you’re following a group of high school students trying to throw the greatest house rave in history or enjoying a comedy about unruly college parties, here are some best party movies that should definitely go down in the history books.

1. We Are Your Friends (2015)

An aspiring DJ, a track that is doomed to set the music scene on fire and some uber-bumpy beats – that’s what this party-focused movie is all about. We Are Your Friends follows an aspiring young DJ and his buddies as they navigate the electronic realm and pursue their 15 minutes of fame in Hollywood’s land.

2. Project X (2012)

Also dubbed as one of the best party movies that your eyes will ever lay upon, Project X documents how three high-school seniors try to make a name for themselves by organizing an epic birthday bash. Just like any other unforgettable party, things spiral out of control as the night progresses.

3. 21 & Over (2013)

Getting boozy on a Wednesday night can’t be labelled as a catastrophe – but getting blackout drunk the night before an important medical school exam can surely be. 

21 & Over is a must-watch party movie that follows the uber-eventful night of a promising student who decides to let loose for the first time in his life – but chooses the most improper moment to do so. 

4. XOXO (2016)

One rave night can change your life forever – or at least this is what party movie XOXO shows us when six strangers’ fates clash on an electronic music festival’s grounds. It all starts when the main character, a young DJ, is granted a last-minute opportunity to perform at USA’s largest EDM festival.

5. Neighbors (2014)

Imagine being neighbors with a fraternity who has a soft spot for hosting the most jaw-dropping parties in terms of noise, craze and capacity. If that exercise requires too much imagination, watch Neighbors instead. 

This party movie comedy showcases how a young couple with a newborn deals with this ill-fated scenario.

6. Neighbors 2 (2016)

When you thought nothing could be worse than having a debaucherous fraternity living next door, Neighbors 2 brings out a new and out-of-control sorority.

As the loud parties threaten the sale of their home, the couple turns to ex-enemy Teddy to get the wild sorority off the block.

7. Artificial Paradises (2012)

In this Brazilian-Dutch co-production, two connoisseurs of the rave scene navigate the uber-complicated side of romance after engaging in a druggy festival session. 

The electronic music festival in Artificial Paradises acts as the setting of a whirlwind story featuring the adventures of three protagonists, Nando (Luca Bianchi), DJ Erika (Nathalia Dill) and Lara (Livia de Beuno).

8. The Last Days of Disco (1998)

Mostly occurring in a Studio 54-like club, The Last Days of Disco follows the story of two fresh-out-of-college students who shift from reckless teenagers to full-time responsible adults.

In their pursuit of love, lust and answers for WTF is happening in their lives, the duo frequents a local and exclusive disco. Utterly comic and somehow insightful, this party movie is a witty look at Manhattan’s 80s party scene.

9. 24 Hour Party People (2002)

As if the name didn’t give it away already, 24 Hour Party People covers all of the bases that tag along with the partying concept.

After witnessing a life-changing performance from the Sex Pistols, the main character decides to leave his mark on the world through a record label. When you say record label, you’re pretty much saying non-stop partying.

This party movie perfectly evokes the nostalgia of Manchester’s punk groups while capturing the energy of both punk rock wave and rave culture.

10. Human Traffic (1999)

Perfectly portraying Cardiff’s clubbing scene in the roaring 90s, the Human Traffic party movie tells the story of five best friends who decide to cut – very – loose during one weekend filled with hedonism, bumpy beats and pubbing. 

This raunchy comedy chronicles the rollercoaster of emotions that tags along with clubbing every weekend and partying like there is no law.

11. Weekender (2011)

This party movie follows a group of Manchester friends during the rave scene’s arrival from Ibizian grounds in the 1990s. While warehouse parties are exploding across the UK, the two friends make a name for themselves promoting this newfound rave scene.

12. Spring Breakers (2012)

Four college students want to travel to Florida for spring break, but they are short on cash. So they do what everyone would do for some sparge change – rob a diner. 

Their endless spiral of beach partying and booze is soon destroyed by their arrest. To top it off, they are – unexpectedly – bailed out by a drug lord. The quadrat’s encounter with the shady hustlers is just the beginning of a rite where bikinis, beer and debauchery reign supreme.

13. Ibiza (2018)

In this party movie, a woman is sent on a business trip to Barcelona. Once she gets there, she learns to let loose and gets caught in a world of whirlwind romances and crazy parties.

14. Don’t Forget to Go Home (2020)

Don’t Forget to Go Home is a party movie that chronicles the ups and downs of the commitment to Berlin clubbing.

Following the stories of techno-addicted heads that find it perfectly normal to party for three days in a row, this nightlife scenario explores the techno lifestyle in roaring name clubs, such as Berghain and Tresor.

15. 21 Jump Street (2012)

Boasting a bromantic chemistry, 21 Jump Street stars the iconic hapless-but-hilarious undercover cops duo – but this time, the setting is a college. And we all know what colleges are best known for, right? 

Even two undercover cops can get swept away by the ineffable vibe of university parties, the drama and the debauched lifestyle that tag along. 

Featuring the catchiest nightlife quotes and most jaw-dropping clubbing sessions, party movies will forever be a cure-all. If you are not digging into the nightlife scene tonight, the good tidings are that you can project it on your TV screen with those iconic party movies.

16. The Hangover (2009)

If you ever wondered what’s the secret recipe for the most irritating hangover in the world, this party movies lays out the puzzle pieces for you. When three groomsmen and the soon-to-be husband drive all the way to Sin City for a debauched stag party, things go out of hand after one-too-many shots.

As soon as the three best men wake up, not only that they are instantly hit by a migraine-fuelled hangover, but they realize they’ve also lost the groom somewhere along the way.

17. The Hangover 2 (2011)

Fast forward to two years after the ill-fated Las Vegas stag party, it is time for Stu (Ed Helms) to drop the bachelor lifestyle and walk down the aisle. Since who doesn’t learn from history is doomed to repeat it, Stu finds a seemingly fool proof way of avoiding an alcohol craze.

Although the safe option is a mocktail brunch, we should not forget that Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are also part of the package. With those two around, harmony is a temporary thing.

18. Superbad (2007)

Throwing some nostalgia into the movie party list, Superbad follows the bromance of two co-dependent high-schoolers. They iconic duo can be labelled as virgin from every point of view – from having a blackout to flirting with a female while keeping the heartbeat at an acceptable level.

But they have high hopes for the graduation party. To avoid the inevitable separation anxiety, the two try to stage a babes & booze party – but when show time starts, their plan goes awry.

20. Office Christmas Party (2016)

Landing on a big client is no easy feat. It takes hours of research, a bunch of bright ideas and a je ne sais quoi in how you speak that will win him over. Or just host one of the most epic office parties ever if you want to take the shortcut.

In Office Christmas Party, a branch manager is willing to give everything to stop his sister (who is also the company’s CEO) from closing down his outpost. And when we say everything, we stand by it – even if it means bringing ice statues and slides to the 20-something floor of the building.

21. Afterlife of the Party (2021)

The shrill comedy Afterlife of the Party doesn’t hint at the ill-fated afterparty ecosystem – instead, it shows that the iconic ‘a little party never killed nobody’ tagline might not be entirely true. When social butterfly Cassie (Victoria Justice) dies in a party accident, she realizes that in order to earn her angel wrongs, she has to sort out her unfinished business on Earth.

22. Great Gatsby (2012)

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic is more than another American Dream narrative filled with glitz and glam – it also displays the mix of exuberance and decadence that monopolized blue-blooded parties in the roaring 20s.

Through top-notch acting delivered by icons Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, we are introduced to Jay Gatsby’s flamboyant lifestyle. His over-the-top house parties have everything from roulette tables and exquisite dancers to burlesque live shows and champagne towers – pretty much the kind of festivity we’d teleport to if time machines would have existed.

23. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Part comedy, part portrayal of Wall Street’s unrestrained hedonism, this party movie is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort. Best known for his tragic stockbroker-turned-financial-criminal fate, Belfort made a huge fortune by defrauding rich investors.

But lavish parties and recreational drug use also tag along when the wealthy social status takes over the stage. The Wolf of Wall Street not only that tells the whos and hows of Belfort’s schemes, but it digs deep enough to get to the brew of sex, thrills and non-stop parties.

24. This is the End (2013)

When’s the worst moment for an apocalypse of biblical proportions to blow up? This is the End has the answer for that – a house party. In this party movie, a Hollywood actor throws an impromptu party a few hours before hell breaks loose and causes carnage throughout the whole LA.

But the good tidings are that Franco’s party survives. Equipped with some magic mushrooms, beer cans and cereal boxes, the six friends try to party and survive like there is no tomorrow.

25. House Party (1990)

Your parents are out of town. You have the house to yourself. No, this is not another Home Alone scenario – it is a movie that pretty much embodies every ill-fated scenario that would follow a teen when he is home alone. This light-hearted comedy follows two teenagers in their pursuit for the ‘it’ high-school party – yes, calamities and inevitable fatalities are also part of the package.

26. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

Watching Everybody Wants Some!! feels like you’re living in the 80s’ unapologetic freedom, comedy flicks and modern rock. When a college freshman meets his new baseball teammates, the youngsters bond with each other immediately and start yo navigate a party-fuelled unsupervised adulthood.

Macho, babes-obsessed but innocent as a new-born babies, the sports jocks experience a constant cycle of getting bored, wasted and laid.

27. Beerfest (2006)

One word, a lot of bubbles and tons of empty pints – can you guess what it is? You got it right. We’re talking about beer – the iconic Oktoberfest, to be more precise. Two brothers travel to Germany for the festival, but they get sucked into an aggressive beer competition. 

And since there is no better way to train for the beer-drinking Olympics more than partying and downing pints, this is exactly the mantra that the brothers follow. Oh, the things we do to survive a super-secret, centuries-old beer competition.

28. The Night Before (2015)

Although for many of us Christmas traditions translate into Sunday morning presents and family dinners, party movie The Night Before gives another shape to this concept. Every year, three lifelong friends put on their ugly Santa Claus-themed sweaters and reunite to celebrate Christmas Eve with a bang.

But as their annual tradition comes to an end, the trio decides to make it memorable. All you need to know is that is it starts with a hunt for the Nutcracka Ball, a New York event known for being the ultimate holy grail for Christmas parties.

29. Wedding Crashers (2005)

Crashing a wedding should be on everyone’s ‘100 things I need to do before I die’ list. In Wedding Crashers, a male duo of fully committed womanisers literally live our dream. They pop in (in an impromptu and unannounced way, mind you) at one of the sacred events in one’s life – the mighty wedding.

In this series of drinking for free and sleeping with women like it’s nothing, it seems like nothing can go wrong – until one of them locks eyes with a bridesmaid.

30. The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network captures the fever of Facebook’s startup days while perfectly balancing this image with the university parties.

NEWSLETTER

Get all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox for free
img