House Party

Rap duo Kid ‘n Play play the lead role in this 1990s classic. Play’s parents are away on vacation, so he organises a house party. But on the very day of the party Kid is grounded by his father; this leads to a ton of climbing out of the window and running away from the cops, just as it should in a film of this type from this era.

Not only is House Party an infectious comedy with classic tropes, the film also has a killer soundtrack; Project X pales into insignificance compared to the house party where, of course, Kid finally ends up. House Party is the perfect representation of its time, and it’s no coincidence that it has acquired cult status. The rap battle between Kid ‘n Play at the party was the first introduction of this phenomenon – and the hip-hop generation – to a wide audience. The way the film depicts police brutality (by white officers) raises the question of why, 25 years later, we still need to have exactly the same discussions.