Life of the Party
After her marriage collapses, a devoted housewife reinvents herself by becoming a college student alongside her skeptical daughter.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- breezy
- witty
- sincere
- lazy sunday
- girls night
What critics said
Critics found the film's good-natured humor and talented ensemble outweighed by jumbled direction and an inconsistent, weakly structured script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Deanna returns to college after her husband leaves and embraces a new identity as a student.
Deanna attends the same college and classes as her daughter Maddie, disrupting their familiar family dynamic.
Deanna turns the end of her marriage into an opportunity to reclaim autonomy and explore life beyond domestic responsibility.
A longtime housewife navigates campus life, classmates, parties, and frat culture alongside her daughter.
Films like Life of the Party, and why
The Boss
Shares a broad, good-natured comedy style, a middle-aged protagonist undergoing personal reinvention, and an emphasis on female friendship and self-confidence.
Tammy
Shares Melissa McCarthy-led physical comedy, an adult woman navigating social disruption, and a warm but uneven mainstream comedic tone.
The House Bunny
Shares a woman-centered campus comedy premise, intergenerational friction, and an upbeat story about finding confidence through an unexpected social environment.
Movie Details
- Director
- Ben Falcone
- Release Date
- 2018-05-10
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (1069)
Cast
- Melissa McCarthy
- Matt Walsh
- Molly Gordon
- Gillian Jacobs
- Luke Benward
- Maya Rudolph
- Heidi Gardner
- Debby Ryan
- Jessie Ennis
- Julie Bowen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Life of the Party about?
- After her marriage collapses, a devoted housewife reinvents herself by becoming a college student alongside her skeptical daughter.
- What is Life of the Party like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Life of the Party as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Life of the Party violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Life of the Party.
- What did critics think of Life of the Party?
- Critics found the film's good-natured humor and talented ensemble outweighed by jumbled direction and an inconsistent, weakly structured script.
- Which films are like Life of the Party?
- Films with a similar feel include The Boss, Tammy, and The House Bunny.
- How long is Life of the Party?
- Life of the Party runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Life of the Party?
- In United States, Life of the Party streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
