Are you looking for some movies like Project X (2012)? Do you enjoy wild, party-filled comedies? Then this list is for you! These movies are the best of the best when it comes to wild, R-rated comedies. Whether you want something more recent or a classic that’s sure to make you laugh out loud, these movies will hit the spot.
Project X was released on March 2, 2012, grossing over $100 million worldwide. It received mixed reviews from critics; some praised its energy and humor while others criticized its vulgarity and lack of laughs.
1. Booksmart (2019)
Booksmart is a delightful, raunchy, and deceptively smart comedy that follows in the tradition of great teen movies like Project X. Despite being low-budget and coming from first-time director Olivia Wilde, the film has all the energy, style, and heart that you could hope for.
The story follows best friends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), who are academic over-achievers determined to make up for a lost time by finally enjoying their last day of high school. They soon discover however that their plan to party harder than everyone else comes with some unexpected consequences.
While the film’s premise might sound like your typical teen movie fare, what sets Booksmart apart is its sharp writing, surprising depth, and terrific performances from its two leads. Feldstein and Dever have brilliant chemistry as best friends who constantly challenge and support each other, making for a very entertaining watch.
Wilde also does a great job of subverting expectations; just when you think you know where the story is going, she takes it in a completely different direction. This results in some very funny moments, as well as some genuinely touching ones too.
2. Dazed And Confused (1993)
The slice-of-life cult movie follows a group of high school students in 1976 as they experience the last day of their senior year. The students are filled with anticipation for the summer ahead, but they must first survive a series of pranks and hazing from the older students.
The various characters include Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London), the football team captain who is struggling to come to terms with his impending graduation; Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins), a freshman who is nervous about starting high school; Fred O’Bannion (Ben Affleck), a bully who likes to pick on Mitch; and Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey), a twenty-something man who still hangs out with high school students.
Dazed and Confused has been praised for its depiction of teenage life in the 1970s. The film has also been noted for its excellent soundtrack, which features classic rock songs from the era.
3. Risky Business (1983)
What’s a movie like Project X without a little bit of risky business? This 1983 classic stars Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. The film launched Cruise to stardom. Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise) is a high school senior who lives with his affluent parents on the North Shore of Chicago. During the day, he attends a private boys’ school where he is a straight-A student, but at night he enjoys hanging out with his best friend Miles (Curtis Armstrong) and indulging in various teenage vices such as drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and chasing girls.
One night while his parents are away on vacation, Joel decides to hire a prostitute named Lana (Rebecca De Mornay). Things quickly spiral out of control and Joel finds himself in the middle of a criminal plot involving Lana and her pimp Guido (Joe Pantoliano). As he tries to extricate himself from the situation, Joel’s life starts to unravel as his relationships with his family, friends, and girlfriend begin to fall apart.
While the film is lighthearted and often funny, it also deals with some pretty heavy topics, including addiction and betrayal. Risky Business isn’t afraid to get a little dark.
4. Big Time Adolescence (2019)
Released in 2019, Big Time Adolescence is about a 16-year-old boy who is taken under the wing of his older, unlicensed, and unconventional therapist.
Starring Pete Davidson and Griffin Gluck, the film follows Mo as he navigates his teenage years with the help of his best friend, Zeke. While Mo’s single mother (played by Leslie Mann) does her best to keep him on the straight and narrow, his newfound relationship with Zeke leads him down a path of parties, drugs, and girls.
A story about friendship, rebellion, and growing up, Big Time Adolescence is a hilarious and relatable film for anyone who has ever been a teenager.
5. Shiva Baby (2020)
Danielle (Rachel Sennott) is a college student attending a shiva with her parents. She finds herself attracted to Maya (Molly Gordon), the pregnant daughter of the family hosting the shiva. The two spend time together and eventually kiss. However, Danielle’s relationship with Maya is complicated by the fact that she is also attracted to another woman, Simone (Pixie Davies).
Shiva Baby is a funny, smart, and insightful look at the complications of sexuality and relationships. The performances are all excellent, but Sennott and Gordon are particularly great as the two women struggle to figure out their feelings for each other. The film is also very well-observed in its depiction of Jewish culture and how it affects the characters’ lives. Overall, Shiva Baby is a charming and thought-provoking film that is sure to resonate with many viewers.
6. 21 & Over (2013)
Teller stars as Jeff Chang, a medical student who is about to take his finals. His two best friends since childhood, Miller (Chon) and Casey (Wright), decide to visit him for his 21st birthday the night before his big exam. Chang is reluctant at first but eventually agrees to go out with them.
The three friends go to a bar where they drink heavily and Chang quickly becomes intoxicated. Miller and Casey then take him to a strip club where he gets even drunker and ends up passing out. They try to take him home but he vomits in the car, so they decide to leave him in an alleyway to sleep it off.
Chang wakes up the next morning disoriented and with no idea where he is. He eventually finds his way back to campus where he realizes that he has lost his ID card and wallet. He also has no recollection of what happened the night before. Chang frantically searches for his things while also trying
The film was released on May 10, 2013, by Warner Bros. Pictures and grossed $17 million worldwide. & Over received mixed reviews from critics but Teller’s performance was praised.
7. Emergency (2022)
Emergency is a 2022 American action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington. The film follows a group of criminals who hijack an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman in need of emergency care, and the race against time to save her life.
It’s an interesting spin on the “friends spend a night partying and spiral out of control” trope. There is a lot of preoccupation with relations between races, relations between men and women, relations with the authorities, prejudices, stereotypes, and privileges (the film opens with a white British teacher passing her class a lesson on the N-word while the word appears on the blackboard behind her and she says it several times).
It’s a funny, intense and moving film like Project X, with the focus always remaining on the friendships between the protagonists, the kind of male friendships that we need more of in movies.
The film is set in Los Angeles, California, and was shot on location in the city. Emergency is produced by Neal Moritz and Lorenzo di Bonaventura and written by Richard Wenk.
8. Superbad (2007)
Seth and Evan, two teenage best friends approaching the end of high school and preparing for college.
Eager to lose their virginity before leaving for college, Seth and Evan devise a plan to procure alcohol for a party so that they can become popular with their classmates. Their plan goes awry when multiple mishaps occur, leading to an increasingly chaotic night.
While critically acclaimed, the film was a box office success, grossing $169 million worldwide on a $20 million budget.
9. Empire Records (1995)
The story follows a group of employees at an independent record store as they try to stop the store from being sold to a major corporation.
Rex Manning is an aging pop star, the kind your mom probably really liked when she was a girl, and he’s arrived at Empire Records to meet fans and sign CDs accompanied by his manager Jan. Rex Manning’s appearance excites Gina and Rory who are devout fans of the star but less impresses the guys who work in the store who prefer their music with electric guitar solos and blasting drums.
The film takes place during a particularly long day in which the young employees at the “Empire Records” music store experience countless bizarre, funny, and exciting moments that will over the years make the film a cult and its soundtrack one of the most successful in its field.
Like any true cult film, at the time of its release, it was not very successful at the box office, and its huge potential was only discovered by the viewers when it was released on video, but today every year on the eighth of April the fans celebrate “Rex Manning Day” and re-watch the film while reciting all the iconic quotes. Damn the man! Save the Empire!
10. The Hangover (2009)
Released in 2009, The Hangover is a classic comedy that follows a group of friends who go on a bachelor party trip to Las Vegas. After a night of partying, they wake up to find that the groom is missing and they can’t remember what happened. They have to piece together the events of the night and find the groom before his wedding.
The Hangover is filled with hilarious moments and it’s one of the most popular comedies of all time. If you’re looking for movies like Project X, then you need to watch The Hangover.
11. This Is the End (2013)
An action comedy from the creators of Superbad that focuses on several colorful characters trapped together in a house while the world is coming to an end.
The comedy follows six friends who are trapped in the house of their friend, James Franco after a series of strange catastrophic events that destroyed Los Angeles, They also put an end to their wild party. As the world outside falls apart, supplies run out, and depression at home threatens to tear the friendship apart from within. Ultimately, they are forced to leave home and face their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.
This Is the End stars Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson.
12. Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
A successful combination of two popular genres, which sometimes come in one package: Teenage and party movies.
This time it’s about the high school graduation party, where everyone has to do everything they didn’t do during the whole high school. Ethan Embry (known as Chevy Chase’s son from the days when he was on crazy vacations in all kinds of places) is the nerd who is in love with Jennifer Love-Hewitt, who is the hottie of the night. Lauren Ambrose is the smart and cynical redhead, while Seth Green is the white homeboy trying to adopt hip-hop mannerisms, including the traditional gangsta limp.
The movie is satisfying on its own, it stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jerry O’Connell.
13. The To Do List (2013)
The To Do List follows teenager Brandy Klark (Plaza) who, before starting college in the fall, decides she needs to do something with her life besides studying. She makes a list of all the sexual activities she missed out on during high school and sets out to complete them before she goes to college. Along the way, she learns a lot about herself and grows as a person.
The film is smart, sweet, and ultimately very uplifting.
14. Sixteen Candles (1984)
When it comes to classic teen movies, few are as iconic as Sixteen Candles. Starring Molly Ringwald as Samantha Baker, the film follows Samantha as she navigates the ups and downs of her 16th birthday. From awkward encounters with the popular kids to a crush on an older boy, to trying to make sure her family doesn’t forget her birthday, Samantha’s birthday is anything but ordinary.
While Sixteen Candles may not be as wild or outrageous as Project X, it’s still a relatable and hilarious look at what it’s like to be a teenager. If you’re looking for a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the feels, then this is the one for you.
