Awe: the only way to explain your emotion after witnessing the event that is Project X. Goosebumps rise on your skin as you feel the music flow forcefully through you. All of a sudden you feel a part of the action, a part of the mayhem at an outrageous high school party. Then the credits roll and lights turn up and you pull yourself back to reality, remembering that in fact you’re in a movie theatre.

    Project X features Thomas Mann as a young high school student, also named Thomas, whose parents leave him home alone over his birthday weekend. Costa (Oliver Cooper) is Thomas’s best friend and spreads word about a birthday party they’re throwing. As trailers suggest, the party gets out of control.  Other than a high school party spiraling into ridiculousness, there is no real conflict central to the film. Senior Dan Delgrosso said, “It was still fun to watch even though it was just a video of a party.”

    In any other circumstance, the lack of conflict would be detrimental to the popularity of a film. This movie, however, is unlike any other (to high school students at least). The resulting party is far from a birthday bash – it deserves its own category on the party scale. Senior Lucas Barisano said, “It was crazy dude, that’s the only way I can describe it.”

    The entire movie is filmed from the point of view of Thomas and Costa’s friend Dax, who plans to put the footage together to make a movie of Thomas’s birthday night as a project, hence the name Project X. Dax is not revealed until the end and his realistic filming makes the audience think they can feel the spray of pool water as numerous party goers splash around amidst all the mayhem of the party.

    Older generations may not appreciate the delight of watching a high school party simply because they are not in high school, but teenagers alike will contemplate in wonderment how epic a party like this could be if it happened in their town.

    Because the movie is basically one long video of an insane party, music is essential to its success and the soundtrack most definitely delivers. Featuring music of all genres, the soundtrack keeps your blood pumping and adrenaline rushing. Several techno mixes during dancing scenes tempt you to bust out a move in the middle of the theatre.

    Despite the shortage of an actual central conflict, Project X does not come up short. Earning four out of five stars, its intense filming and honest portrayal of a youthful culture draw in high school and college students and provides a fulfillment of the most impressive party imaginable.