directed by:
Jack McLoughlin written by: Jack McLoughlin genre: Drama, Comedy |
I gotta say…I love the fact that it’s only within mere seconds of Tommy listening to his parents warn him against having any parties while they’re away - that we see him take a phone call to confirm that one is DEFINITELY happening. “The Death Of The House Party” is devilishly designed to appeal to the rebel spirit in ya, and it’ll get you laughing before the title credits even roll onto the screen. Life and love are tough-ass things to navigate as a youth, though, so make no mistake, this film will manage to dive into a plethora of complex but relatable feelings & scenarios that you’re probably familiar with if you’ve had some experience growing up. If you’re only eight years old and reading this review or watching this film, well…I suppose just be patient & know that your time is coming, just like it did for every single one of us.
While this starts out pretty funny, “The Death Of The House Party” ends up taking a pretty dramatic turn quickly into its less-than twenty-minute length and becomes much more of a coming-of-age style Drama. Anna just had “breakup sex” with Tommy, which has left him more than a bit unsettled as he tries to figure out what his next steps in life are without her. I really liked how we can visually see the pain and confusion on his face as Daniel Owen plays the role of Tommy - because let’s be real here, these moments of life are extremely hard on us & they can seem to come straight outta the blue when we’re young - long before we realize how often this kinda stuff happens later on in life when we’re fully grown. That’s the thing about being young and naïve: you think the sex will last forever until one day it doesn’t, and that last time you had it with someone was the actual last time. It’d be super nice if people could warn each other prior to the act, you know? But that’s just the thing – you never really see it coming, and in the aftermath of it all, you realize that you weren’t having more sex at all – it was “breakup sex.” All that being said, loners like myself ’d realize these things in private and be able to have a good cry about it without being seen. For Tommy, this realization happens in real time while he’s supposed to be partying with his friends, which is what ends up driving this film into a more serious and substantial terrain. “The Death Of The House Party” could have easily been just another red-cup-based party movie, but Writer/Director Jack McLoughlin wisely steers this film into something more. In fact, this whole party could truly be seen as one big giant downer – almost every character we run into is contemplating how the days of partying are about to come to an end, and they’re trying to sort out their own individual shit at the same time as enjoy themselves & the friendships they’ve made. Again, if you’ve been there, you know what this is like…at some point, it really all does go away, and it’s hard to come to terms with that. On the bright side of the scenario, that’s probably a good thing in the long run. Think of it like this. Those of you out there who realized the parties were coming to an end - likely got jobs and started building a life for yourself – but we all know what happened to the people we once knew who refused to give it up. They’re probably stuck in an endless limbo where they’re still trying to keep the party going and wondering where everyone they once knew has gone. Whether it’s giving up drugs & drinking, or going off to university and/or getting a job, the party does eventually end as life begins, but that doesn’t mean it ain’t freakin’ devastating to go through as it’s happening, which is really what “The Death Of The House Party” captures so precisely. Every single one of us watching this film can empathize with the characters we see along the way because we’ve all BEEN one of them at some point ourselves. Change is exciting and terrifying at the very same time. Some of us are fortunate enough to understand the gravity of what that next step in life means, and we can see what we’ll have to leave behind in order to get there, while others we know can’t see beyond the next minutes of their day.
“I like you too…I just wish you’d said something sooner.” As you’ll see in this scene of “The Death Of The House Party,” these are the moments where we really start to learn about regrets. The things that we could have done. The things we could have said. The time we could have spent together. In what seems like a flash, everything is about to change as you leave your youth behind to abandon it for some weird notion of adulthood. I’d love to tell ya that it’s an easy thing for everyone to do, but that’s not the case at all. Growing up can be one of the hardest things that anyone will ever have to go through in life. While you’re growing up, so too are your friends, and there are no rules that say you’ll continue to grow up together. People drift apart, people move away, and if you’re not mindful of the fact that the hourglass is continually running out of sand in every moment that you’ll ever be in, it can knock you for a loop. Take this film to heart and learn some lessons from it, no matter what age you’re at now – tell that person you like them while you’ve got the opportunity…tell your friends that you love them dearly and have enjoyed every minute you got to spend together…do your best to minimize any regrets you could have, but don’t beat yourself up too hard when you realize you’ve still got some, ‘cause we all do. The cast is fantastic, the direction is stellar, and the content is seriously substantial, even if you might feel like you’ve seen stuff like this before. I’m going with four stars out of five for its attention to detail. From concepts of what home really is - to who our friends really are, “The Death Of The House Party” puts life itself brilliantly under the microscope. Smack dab in the middle of when everyone is supposed to be having the time of their lives, that’s when change comes to push you in a completely different direction. “The Death Of The House Party” accomplishes so much in such a short timeframe that you can’t help but admire how much it’s willing to take on, knowing that it’s not going to have the same amount of length to get its ideas across as a full-length movie would. Isn’t that the point, too, though? Things just end sometimes, inexplicably, all too quickly, and unexpected – so to me, it really seemed fitting that “The Death Of The House Party” kind of just chooses a spot to end itself, and that was it. Why should seeing a film about life be any different from the actual life experience? I thought that was brilliant, as was the vast majority of the entire film, all around. I’m sure the ending will cause for a bit of back & forth debate…I’m confident there will be many people out there who will also watch “The Death Of The House Party” & feel like there’s not much to it that they haven’t experienced themselves. Ultimately, any of these things would be valid points to make, but I hope the craftsmanship of what McLoughlin has written translates well enough to affect those who watch this film. I hope it makes you pause for a moment or two to consider how you have been through similar situations…and has you appreciating all the wonderful people you’ve met along the way. We all play a role in each other’s lives - we just never know how big or small it will be – but when it comes right down to it, chances are, you’ll always remember the people who have been a part of your journey, regardless of where they end up or how long it has been. McLoughlin has created a quality film for us to consider. ”The Death Of The House Party” eventually comes for us all; it’s just a matter of time. |
|
|
More To Check Out.
|
