House Party

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1:25

House Party

R

1990

1h 40m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

35 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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Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

Jan 21, 2026

There are elements here that are best left in the ’90s, but its joyful, nuanced portrait of Black teenage experience has aged quite nicely.

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Time Out

Aug 16, 2007

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.

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

May 20, 2003

3.5/5

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

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Michelle Kisner

The Movie Sleuth

Apr 8, 2026

It's alive and joyful, and an excellent time capsule of the early '90s.

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Leo Brady

AMovieGuy.com

Feb 4, 2026

4/4

To discover House Party is to feel an electric jolt of pure joy. What radiates from the cast and the production is happiness- a kind of chemistry that can’t be quantified but is unmistakable on screen.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Jan 27, 2026

Reevaluation not only affords new audiences to be born, it empowers old audiences to consider a work through a different lens.

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Jasmine R

Feb 15, 2022

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.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 3, 2025

Funny in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Rated R. The worldwide gross is $26,400,000.00 over a budget of $2,500,000.00.

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Jan 26, 2025

a rompin, roaring good time even 35 years later plenty of laughs, cool music and 90's teen exploration to spare this soundtrack kicks all kinds of ass and Robin Harris has the best lines in here it also depicts the real way parties should be held whether it involves DJing, girls, jail etc. definitely a real pleaser for the viewer

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Jan 3, 2025

Filme legal, o roteiro é bacana, as cenas deveriamser melhores, mas parece que o filme tem muitas festas e quase nada aconteia, e também o filme não trouxe uma coisa tão boa de se ver.

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chris h

@RT26751167 Jun 19, 2024

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.

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TJ L

@TJpacoLopez Nov 22, 2023

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

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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

House Party 2

27%

65%

House Party 2

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House Party 3

0%

66%

House Party 3

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Friday

77%

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20%

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House Party: Trailer 1

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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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