House Party - Movie review

By
Kathy Graves
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9

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House Party

Released in 1990 and directed by Reginald Hudlin, House Party has a huge cult following and is one of the films credited with the mainstreaming of hip hop and rap as not only popular forms of entertainment but as art forms deserving of wider critical assessment.

A seemingly slight film, the plot upon first glance might seem a bit shallow, but it actually serves as the canvas upon which a whole night of hilarious teenage debauchery and excellent music can take place.

One character, Play, decides to plan for the craziest house party of all time while his parents are out of town. Meanwhile, his best friend, Kid, is dying to go and win over the girl of his dreams, Sydney.

https://revyou.com/uploads/thumbnail-960/1602674550213House_Party-2.webp House Party - Movie review

Unfortunately, he gets into a major fight at school and his father grounds him, forbidding him from going to the party. That’s obviously not going to work, so Kid finds a way to sneak out and as he makes his way to the party, faces one major catastrophe after another, the film moves with a madcap pace remaining funny throughout.

Kid and Play were well-known rappers with more of an underground following at the time, and House Party catapulted them to the mainstream seemingly overnight. The film also features one of the 1990s best comedians, Martin Lawrence, who has an excellent role as the party’s erstwhile DJ.

One of the best and underrated teen comedies of the 1990s, House Party is a film that will be enjoyed by a broad range of audiences, from those who love comedy, teen films, to lovers of hip hop and rap. The movie will be especially appealing to those music aficionados eager to learn more about the genre’s earlier years.