Is ‘Project X’ based on a true story?

It’s not often that films turn into a kind of shorthand. So credit is due to 2012’s Project X for its staying power as a term for parties descending into utter chaos.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Netflix‘s new documentary, Trainwreck: The Real Project X, which chronicles a 2012 incident in which a 16-year-old’s humble birthday party spiraled into a booze-fueled riot that resulted in a mayor’s resignation.

But, despite what its title implies, The Real Project X is not an origin story for Nima Nourizadeh’s found-footage party flick. Rather, it’s about a party that attracted partygoers who tried to replicate Project X‘s rager, leaving the citizens of a small Netherlands town with a painful (and costly) hangover.

The question remains: Is Project X based on a true story? Read on for the answer.

What is Project X about?

Produced by Todd Phillips, who cut his teeth on rowdy films like Old School and The Hangover trilogy, Project X adopts a found-footage filming style similar to low-budget horror hits like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. But unlike those genre staples, this is a lewd, crude comedy about dorky teens who throw a 17th birthday party for a pal. The event soon turns into a booze-fueled, property-destroying, flame-spouting legend.

Entertainment Weekly‘s critic at the time called it a “mangy teenage house-party bacchanal” impressively designed to “look like one continuous, surging spurt of youthful hormonal alcoholic insanity.” Another EW critic noted, “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare played out over 88 minutes.”

Is Project X based on a true story?

Though the creators of Project X have never confirmed this, many outlets, including the Sydney Morning Herald, have noted the similarities between the film’s party and a real-life rager in 2008 that ravaged a community in Melbourne, Australia.

The Melbourne party was thrown by Corey Worthington, a 16-year-old whose parents were out of town. The event ended up spilling into the streets when roughly 500 people showed up, according to the New York Times. Per the Times, “some minor damage was done to a neighbor’s property,” but the situation escalated when cops, aided by dogs and a helicopter, stormed the party, resulting in a skirmish that involved rock-throwing and a damaged police car.

What made the situation national news, though, was a hilarious interview Worthington gave to A Current Affair after the party. The teen, bare-chested with unkempt hair under an askew cap, mumbles through a half-hearted apology and refuses to remove his ostentatious sunglasses when asked by the interviewer.

Many clutched their pearls at the teen’s indifference, but the clip went viral as younger audiences embraced his detached demeanor. Worthington scored an agent in the aftermath and has since appeared on Big Brother Australia 8 and Australian Ninja Warrior.

Project X ends with a similar interview, as party-thrower Costa (Oliver Cooper) adopts a similar demeanor (and a similar pair of shades) while speaking with TV personality Jillian Barberie.

Where is Corey Worthington now?

According to his Instagram, Worthington is currently married with a daughter. He also works with the Leg Up Project, which aims to help unhoused folks in Melbourne.

He addressed his notoriety in a November 2024 video on Instagram. When asked if he peaked when he was 16, he dismissed the question. “Mate, the peak of my life was having my little one. She’s f—in’ everything to me.”

Speaking to the party that made him infamous, he shrugged it off. “It was just a party… I didn’t expect it to be something 16 years on. I didn’t expect it to get made into a movie.”

What happened at the 2012 “Project X party” in Haren?

The gathering depicted in Netflix’s Trainwreck: The Real Project X doesn’t look nearly as enjoyable as Worthington’s real-life bash or the party depicted in Project X.

It began with Merthe Weusthuis, a 16-year-old living in the small town of Haren in the Netherlands. Weusthuis posted an innocuous (and inadvertently public) Facebook event for her birthday party in 2012, inviting 78 people, per TIME. An acquaintance thought it would be funny to invite several of his own friends. From there, the event snowballed, with strangers getting in on the fun and duplicate pages being made after the original was deleted.

Since this all occurred in the wake of Project X‘s release, potential partygoers were determined to make it, in the words of several interview subjects, a “Project X party.”

Per the documentary, more than 30,000 people were invited to the Sept. 21 bash. According to CNN, roughly 3,000 people showed up outside Weusthuis’ house, where they were met by authorities. Tensions quickly escalated between riot police and partygoers, resulting in property destruction, looting, fires, and violence.

According to the documentary, more than 100 people were arrested after police combed through hours of video evidence. Seventeen were charged with crimes related to the riot.

“Last night, scum wreaked havoc in our community,” said Haren Mayor Rob Bats in the aftermath. The following year, however, an official inquiry into the incident found that Bats and the local police force “failed” in their management of the incident.

“Right from the start authorities had no grip on the problem, there was no clear strategy to deal with it and what they did was insufficient,” said the investigating commission’s chair, Job Cohen, per the Journal.

As shown in the documentary, Bats apologized during a press conference and resigned in March 2013 amid “public pressure” following the inquiry. He declined to participate in the film.

Where can I watch Project X?

Project X is available to rent or buy via Amazon Prime Video or Apple.

Trainwreck: The Real Project X is available to stream on Netflix.

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