Life of the Party

Life of the Party is currently streaming in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel, and it delivers exactly the kind of comedy that earns a loyal following. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 1,057 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Melissa McCarthy — stay for everyone else around them. Start it on Netflix whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Life of the Party is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The jokes in Life of the Party land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna turns regret into re-set by going back to college... Landing in the same class and school as her daughter, who's not entirely sold on the idea. Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the increasingly outspoken Deanna – now Dee Rock – embraces freedom, fun, and frat boys on her own terms, finding her true self in a senior year no one ever expected. Melissa McCarthy and Matt Walsh lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2018. What keeps Life of the Party from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Life of the Party. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Melissa McCarthy is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.