After ‘Office Christmas Party,’ Are There Any More Party Movies Left?
Just like your old university roommate, Hollywood loves any excuse to throw a party: we’ve seen movies about bachelor parties, bachelorettes, frat parties, house parties, high school parties, New Years’ parties, graduation parties, going away parties, you name it. And now, just in time for the holiday season, we’re getting the imaginatively-named Office Christmas Party, a new comedy celebrating that time-honoured annual tradition of co-workers getting hammered on the company dime.
Starring Jason Bateman and T.J. Miller as the upper management who throw one last epic holiday party in hopes of miraculously keeping their branch afloat, it’s got all the elements that make up a classic party movie: a star-studded cast, cameos, gratuitous nudity, accidental drug use, open flames. (And then things really get out of control.) But c’mon. “Frustrated employees + open bar” is such an obvious recipe for an outrageous hard-R comedy, even Office Christmas Party’s directors were shocked no one had made this movie before.
But don’t worry, just because “office holiday party” is now off the table doesn’t mean that there aren’t still a whole bunch of other parties out there for filmmakers to turn into drug and debauchery-fueled ragers. So, in the spirit of giving, here’s a few more party movie ideas, free of charge.
Retirement Party
Jason Bateman stars as the well-meaning but put-upon office manager charged with planning the send-off for his hard-ass boss (Tommy Lee Jones). But things get out of control when the resident office slacker (T.J. Miller) spikes the boss’s drink with MDMA as a “going-away present.” The ensuing roast is so vulgar, it’d make Sarah Silverman blush (and it does – she cameos). Someone throws up in the golf bag that was supposed to be Jones’ retirement gift. Spoiler alert: it’s Jones.
Pizza Party
Jason Bateman stars as the well-meaning but put-upon manager of a local Chuck E. Cheese hired to throw a birthday party for a bunch of ungrateful tweens. Things get out of control when one of the moms’ Vicodin dealer (Michael Shannon) shows up, and the resident pizza maker (Kate McKinnon) mistakes a baggie of cocaine for the gluten-free flour. A kid throws up in the ball pit. So does one of the dads (Rob Corddry).
Baby Shower
Vanessa Bayer stars as the well-meaning but put-upon younger sister tasked with hosting a baby shower for her perfectionist older sister (Jennifer Aniston). Things get out of control when a guest mixes up bath salts, the gift, with bath salts, the drug that makes people eat other people’s faces. Someone barfs in a diaper bag.
Quinceañera
Michael Peña stars as a well-meaning but put-upon dad who runs afoul of a ruthless cartel boss (Benicio Del Toro) after accidentally picking up the wrong doll for his daughter’s quinceañera. Things get out of control when the doll breaks, revealing it’s filled with cocaine. Someone throws up during the traditional father/daughter waltz. There’s streaking.
Tea Party
Kate McKinnon stars as a well-meaning but put-upon mom whose daughter’s innocent tea party devolves into a serious rager. Things get out of control when she accidentally serves the kids pot cookies dropped off by her younger brother (T.J. Miller). Someone barfs in their playhouse. Also, there is literal tea-bagging.
