House Party

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1:25

House Party

R

Released Mar 9, 1990

1h 40m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Play's parents are out of town, and he's planning the house party to end all house parties. His best friend, Kid, wants to go more than anything, knowing Sydney (Tisha Campbell-Martin), the hottest girl in school, is sure to be there. But when Kid gets into a fight at school, his father grounds him. Still determined to go, Kid sneaks out of the house and faces one calamity after another as he makes his way to Play's house and the party of the school year.

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Critics Consensus

House Party is a light, entertaining teen comedy with an infectious energy.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B+

Sep 7, 2011

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Time Out

Clearly this is no masterpiece, but as its US reception indicated, it is a product overdue in the market, and it compares well with its anaemic counterparts.

Aug 16, 2007

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

All of the performances are good and the soundtrack pulses with humor as well as decibels.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

615 Film

It’s the affable hangout movie that I kind of expected it to be, with a delightful George Clinton cameo, a great Robin Harris performance and one of the most “oh…oh dear” dated comedy bits of the early 90s.

Jan 15, 2023

Full Review

Kevin Carr

Fat Guys at the Movies

Harmless and fun, this is a nice romp through 90s hip-hop culture.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 14, 2023

Full Review

Juan Carlos Coto

Miami Herald

It's a view often lost in Hollywood's Wonder Bread world. That's why the Hudlins are a welcome pair. They celebrate modern black culture with no needless apologies.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 18, 2021

Full Review

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Jasmine R

House Party is a classic! I enjoyed the chance to watch it in a theater. The facilities were nice. Not too crowded & the snacks were reasonably priced.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/15/22

Full Review

chris h

I absolutely adore this movie. Underrated comedy with a lot of good actors pre Friday movie.Its held up over the rest of time.The sequels though,I would stay away from.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/19/24

Full Review

TJ L

instant Classic, a Beyond Authentic Portrayal of being a Fun Loving Teen Growing up in South Central Los Angeles California in the 1980's, the Movie Realistically Shows us what Hip Hop Music was Truly About back than, it was All about (FUN, in-House Parties, and Consensual Affair's) instead of the Violence and Drama in 2020's nowadays

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/22/23

Full Review

Khalan C

It's a good entertaining movie. I'll go as far to say it's an pop culture treasure with memorable soundtrack and references that people still use to this very day.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/25/23

Full Review

Ballisticzs R

This movie on so many levels feels like a time machine back to the 90s. I personally was born in 2003 so this movie was a fascinating watch. The best part in this movie was probably the musical and dance aspects. The comedy in this movie just made me smile some but this movie definitely has that cheesy 90s movie feel that feels nostalgic. This isn't a movie to watch seriously, just a movie to jam to and to experience that 90s vibe with that comes off charming and silly. C-

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/30/23

Full Review

Deontae D

Classic, A great comedy, And a good cast, The original house party is the best, The 2023 house party is bad

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/28/23

Full Review

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Reginald Hudlin

Director

Robin Harris

Pop

Christopher Reid

Christopher 'Kid' Harris

Christopher Martin

Peter 'Play' Martin

Martin Lawrence

Bilal

Tisha Campbell-Martin

Sidney

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House Party 2

27%

65%

House Party 2

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House Party 3

0%

67%

House Party 3

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76%

91%

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50%

82%

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15%

71%

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House Party: Trailer 1

1:25

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Synopsis

Play's parents are out of town, and he's planning the house party to end all house parties. His best friend, Kid, wants to go more than anything, knowing Sydney (Tisha Campbell-Martin), the hottest girl in school, is sure to be there. But when Kid gets into a fight at school, his father grounds him. Still determined to go, Kid sneaks out of the house and faces one calamity after another as he makes his way to Play's house and the party of the school year.

Director: Reginald Hudlin
Producer: Warrington Hudlin
Screenwriter: Reginald Hudlin
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 9, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.4M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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