Before he was a two-time Oscar winner, Tom Hanks starred in Bachelor Party, an 80s comedy staple about a wild and chaotic celebration before a man ties the knot. The film leans into the excesses of the era, depicting a bachelor party that quickly spirals out of control with strippers, animals, and general mayhem descending upon a hotel suite. It's a quintessential example of the raucous, over-the-top comedies popular in the 1980s, showcasing Hanks' early comedic talent amidst the escalating pandemonium.

Waking up with no memory of the previous night and your car missing is a classic 'juerga' consequence, and Dude, Where's My Car? takes that premise to hilariously absurd extremes. Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott star as two stoners trying to piece together what happened after a wild night. Their quest to find the car leads them through a series of surreal encounters involving everything from ostriches and cults to aliens. It's a movie that revels in its own silliness and non-sequiturs, creating a unique brand of post-party confusion comedy that became a cult favorite.

What would you do if a compromising tape accidentally got mailed to your girlfriend three states away? If you're the characters in Road Trip, you embark on a frantic cross-country journey to intercept it. Directed by Todd Phillips (before The Hangover!), this comedy follows a group of college students on a wild road trip filled with bizarre detours, eccentric characters, and plenty of college party energy along the way. It's a classic early 2000s entry in the genre, relying on ensemble chemistry and escalating absurdity to fuel its journey.

A defining teen comedy of the late 90s, American Pie centers around a group of high school friends who make a pact to lose their virginity before graduation. While the core plot revolves around their individual (and often hilarious) attempts at this goal, the film is punctuated by classic high school party scenes, proms, and social events that serve as the backdrop for their misadventures. It launched the careers of many of its young cast members and became a cultural touchstone for its frank (and often crude) humor about sex and adolescence. The infamous 'pie' scene is just one example of its boundary-pushing comedy that resonated with audiences.

Spring Breakers takes the concept of a party vacation and drenches it in a neon-soaked, dreamlike, and surprisingly dark aesthetic. Directed by Harmony Korine, the film follows four college girls who rob a restaurant to fund their spring break trip to Florida. Once there, they fall in with a strange drug dealer (played with unsettling energy by James Franco). It's less a straightforward comedy and more a hypnotic, stylistic portrayal of youth culture, excess, and the allure of danger set against a backdrop of endless parties and electronic music. It's a unique, almost experimental take on the party movie trope.

Ryan Reynolds stars as Van Wilder, a seventh-year senior who has turned professional college student, using his charisma and party-planning skills to avoid graduation. National Lampoon's Van Wilder is a quintessential early 2000s college comedy filled with gross-out gags, eccentric characters, and a surprising amount of heart as Van helps others find their way while avoiding facing his own future. Reynolds is perfectly cast as the effortlessly cool slacker who knows how to throw an epic event, making this a fun watch for anyone who appreciates irreverent campus humor.

Planning a trip across Europe to meet an online crush? Sounds innocent enough, until you add a group of friends determined to experience everything the continent has to offer. EuroTrip is an episodic road trip comedy that takes its characters (and the audience) on a whirlwind tour of European stereotypes and outrageous situations. From London and Paris to Amsterdam, Bratislava, and Rome, their journey is punctuated by wild parties, bizarre encounters, and plenty of cringe-worthy humor. It's the kind of movie where the humor comes from pushing boundaries and reveling in the absurdity of travel mishaps and cultural clashes, all while trying to achieve a romantic goal.

What happens when a young couple with a newborn baby suddenly finds themselves living next door to a hard-partying fraternity? You get Neighbors, a laugh-out-loud comedy starring Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, and Zac Efron. The film cleverly plays on the generational gap and different life stages, pitting the domestic tranquility of parenthood against the relentless energy of college fraternity life led by Efron's character. The escalating pranks and comedic warfare between the two houses are inventive and hilarious, showcasing great comedic timing from the entire cast. It's a perfect blend of relatable domestic struggles and over-the-top party antics.

More than just a quest for alcohol for a party, Superbad is a genuinely hilarious and heartfelt look at the cusp of adulthood and the bonds of friendship. Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg based on their own high school experiences, the film follows two best friends, Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera), and their awkward friend Fogell, aka McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse in a legendary debut). Their mission to get booze for the year-end party leads to a series of increasingly absurd encounters with eccentric characters, including two surprisingly cool cops played by Seth Rogen and Bill Hader. The dialogue is incredibly sharp and authentic, capturing the way teenagers actually talk, making this comedy feel both wild and grounded.

The granddaddy of college party movies! National Lampoon's Animal House set the standard back in 1978 for depicting fraternity life as a bastion of rebellion against authority. Directed by John Landis, it stars John Belushi in his iconic role as Bluto Blutarsky, a role that launched him into superstardom. The film's chaotic energy, anti-establishment humor, and parade of outrageous gags were revolutionary for its time and remain hilarious today. It was a massive box office success and is credited with popularizing the raunchy college comedy genre. While the Delta House brothers might be the worst students, they certainly know how to throw a party and stick it to the stuffed shirts!

Imagine the wildest house party you've ever heard of, then multiply it by a thousand. Project X delivers exactly that, told through a found-footage lens that makes the escalating chaos feel alarmingly real. Directed by Nima Nourizadeh and produced by Todd Phillips (yes, of The Hangover fame), this film follows three high school seniors who decide to throw a party that will finally get them noticed. What starts small quickly spirals into epic, city-wide destruction. It's a pure adrenaline rush of a movie, capturing the fantasy (and nightmare) of a party with absolutely no limits. Despite its fictional nature, the film's marketing and style led to numerous real-life 'Project X' inspired events, showing just how much it tapped into the party zeitgeist.

Kicking off our list is the undisputed king of 'what happened last night?' comedies! Todd Phillips' The Hangover took the simple premise of a bachelor party gone wrong and turned it into a global phenomenon. The genius lies in the mystery: the audience discovers the chaotic events of the night alongside the characters, piece by piece. The chemistry between Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and especially Zach Galifianakis, who became an overnight star for his portrayal of Alan Garner, is simply electric. Filmed largely on location in Las Vegas, the movie perfectly captures the city's blend of glitz and potential debauchery. It wasn't just a hit; it redefined the R-rated comedy for a generation and spawned two sequels, though nothing quite captured the magic of that first bewildered morning.