PARTY PEOPLE
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Directed by: Joey LePage
Starring: Matthew Daddario, George Basil, Luxy Banner, Vincent Acevedo Jr.
Release Date: April 28, 2025 (Screened at the Dallas International Film Festival)
Platform: TBD
Rating: 4/5
By Crystal Justine
“Party People never mocks its characters, but it does invite us to laugh at them, because we’ve all been them at some point.”
Joey LePage’s PARTY PEOPLE is the kind of film that feels like flipping through a yearbook of forgotten memories. Set in Austin, Texas, this comedy-drama dives headfirst into one of life’s most overhyped rites of passage, the “first big college party.” But rather than glorifying the red-cup chaos intra-party, PARTY PEOPLE finds its stride in something far more universal—awkward self-discovery before the big event.
Told through a series of loosely connected vignettes, the film follows 15 characters—most of them college freshmen—on a single night, as they each fumble, flex, and fail their way to a party that feels like it might define their social trajectory. That setup could easily crumble under its own ambition, but thanks to a sharp script and a talented (largely unknown) ensemble cast, PARTY PEOPLE pulls it off with surprising heart and a whole lot of realism.
One of the most refreshing aspects of the film is its cast. With so many ensemble pieces in today’s landscape featuring actors we’ve seen dozens of times before, it’s easy to carry baggage from their previous roles or personal lives into the viewing experience. PARTY PEOPLE sidesteps that trap. These fresh faces allow the characters to exist without preconceived notions, letting the writing do the heavy lifting.
The humor is as varied as the people on screen. Some scenes hit with dry wit, others lean into physical comedy or absurdity, and a few tap into an almost melancholic honesty. Not every storyline has the same energy, and the film’s pacing wobbles as a result. Some character arcs breeze by, while others drag a bit. Still, that unevenness mirrors the reality of college life, where not every night, or every group, is as equally compelling.
What the film lacks in standout cinematography, it makes up for in emotional clarity and relatability. There’s the kid trying to be cool, the girl who wants her first time to feel like a movie scene, the late-bloomer starting college years behind his peers. There’s even a nod to those painful, fumbling laundry room moments when you realize mom’s not here anymore. PARTY PEOPLE never mocks its characters, but it does invite us to laugh at them, because we’ve all been them at some point.
Married filmmaking duo, director LePage and writer Lindsey Robertson, do an admirable job balancing character diversity with several different situations. There’s no forced moralizing or heavy-handed messaging—just honest, sometimes awkward, slices of youthful madness. And beneath all the jokes, there’s a subtle thesis: just because you think you’re grown up, doesn’t mean you are.
For fans of films like Dazed and Confused, PARTY PEOPLE will feel like an updated mixtape of coming-of-age storytelling. It’s not polished to perfection, but that’s kind of the point. It’s messy, it’s earnest, and it captures the weird little limbo between who you think you are and who you’re about to become.
