Party USA
When Taylor can’t get her party store shift covered after her dad dies, she makes a deadly mistake that sparks a downward spiral of red, white and blue-collared chaos.
Excerpt
Party USA can also be looked at as a political statement about the danger of white women's tears and the harm they cause to the people of color around them. In Party USA there is a villain, but it may not be who or what you think it is.
Rockin My Hips Like Yeah
What happens when after the party, all you’re left with is the hangover? On its face Jared Sprouse’s feature Party USA (2026) is a taut thriller about grief and the things we do to protect ourselves and loved ones. Set under the banner of the deep South, the film explores what happens when your ceiling is zero and your dreams and hopes go as far 1. And while it is certainly that, Party USA can also be looked at as a political statement about the danger of white women’s tears and the harm they cause to the people of color around them. In Party USA there is a villain, but it may not be who or what you think it is.
We open the film with one of the most creative film openings I’ve seen in a long time! Taylor (Ainsley Seiger) is hanging with her boyfriend Damien (Phillip Andre Botello) when she gets the news her dad has died. Apparently she and dad were not close so she seems to be closer to numbness than grief. Even when identifying the body, she’s silent and morose, but tearless. Clearly she has a lot on her mind. As the only child of a single mother, I know the culture shock of being deputized as “Head of the House” when the breadwinner departs. Taylor is likely thinking about the income they lost and the health needs of her mother and the life needs of her brother Keegan (Ben Weinswig). Clearly it’s causing her some distress, but she tries to justify if she can just get a letter of recommendation from her boss at Party USA – the local party supply store – to apply for nursing school, she’ll be set.
Unfortunately her boss, Christian Friday (Jorge A. Sanchez) is dragging his feat which prolongs her escape. I think even subconsciously she knows the clock is ticking. She’s very close to being stuck where she is but she’s ready to take the leap that leads to a brighter future. First she has to stop pissing off the store’s general manager Irene (Tracy Tolliver). She’s been late and distracted, but won’t disclose that her dad has died. Much to the consternation of her co-workers (especially Bobby (Joe Hoenig) who has been at the story longer than Taylor and feels he’s owed a promotion) and her superiors.
One night she’s forced to sign another write-up that she could have easily garnered sympathy for, and the argument escalates leading to a situation with deadly consequences. She receives help from Damien and the next day comes into work like nothing is wrong or out of the ordinary.
It’s a bold move made of unearned consequences as she tries to hide the sloppy plan and absolute desperation from her eyes. This is where the film challenges the audience’s sympathy for our protagonist and it’s a really genius and subtle move.
Rollin My Hips Like Yeah
Seiger has a face that you know you’ve seen before and you know it was definitely on TV. She’s a beauty and to make her more “rural-appropriate” they give her a short haircut. It doesn’t stop those baby blues from shining though and she’s able to emote beautifully throughout the film. You may actually recognize her from her turn as Detective Jet on Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021) so you might think Taylor would have a better head for covering up her crimes, but she’s just a southern belle trying to do right by her family. Or is it just herself? Grief can make you crazy and guilt and grief can bring on all sorts of manifestations of mania. So there could be reasons for Taylor’s more wild decisions. Such as continuing to work at Party USA! Irene’s daughter Zhara (Sharahya Carter) has left her ex and come back to stay with her mom with whom she has a loyal, yet terse relationship. Her presence adds more pressure for Taylor, but definitely for Damien who is breaking down more and more each day. At one point he asks Taylor, “Are we bad people?” and her answer is less than convincing. Later, he says, “I love you, but I really don’t like myself around you.” and it’s this question that should be the unraveling of Taylor, and admittedly almost us – until she’s hit with another roadblock.
It’s an interesting conundrum because on one hand we know Taylor is doing her best, and on the other hand, is she? It’s worth noting that her “Mexican” boyfriend is Puerto Rican which leads most people to ask if that isn’t in Mexico. Irene is a Black woman and Zhara is her Black daughter who is crazy but maybe a little justified in some instances. There are microaggressions played for laughs which is expected in a film about the south, but there are other notifiers of Taylor’s inner Karen awakening despite her liberal leanings.
Yeah, Party in the USA!
I wondered a lot about the decision to make Irene Black. While I don’t believe Party USA is trying to say Taylor is secretly racist, I do believe that it might be pointing a finger at the subconscious bias of white women in this country – especially the deep South. She doesn’t ask Damien for help, he just jumps in, but she won’t listen to his many pleas that he’s made and he’s ready to step forward and confess. Late in the film it’s her actions that bring true danger to his life and the actions are taken fully knowing she’s throwing the man she loves under the bus.
Yes, most of this can be explained away to her selfishness and fear for the future of her family, but there’s something there that points to the idea that she’s entitled to Damien’s silence, or to Zhara’s understanding. That the only person that can get in her way is her and does she ever! There’s also the capitalism tale throughout. Somehow a shift manager job at Party USA provides healthcare for Taylor as well as her mom and brother. She needs her job and she needs to be working, but I don’t know that these are good enough reasons to keep putting her loved ones in harm’s way. I’m sad to say I’m not familiar with the writing team of Sprouse and Barrett Jay. All I know is that along with cinematographer Simms Wright, they created a visually arresting, well written and excellently paced thriller that will leave the viewer clenched until the very end.
Party USA is a rare instance of a low-budget indie film where everything just fits! The special effects were very well done and the sound was even throughout (sound seems to be one of the many banes of an indie filmmaker’s existence). Every actor was great and were able to convey some really complex emotions in a believable way. Special shoutout to Botello who killed it playing the kind, and possibly too understanding boyfriend. The film is full of all types of Southern characters both charming and extremely frustrating (but again, in a charming way!). I highly recommend this film for audiences who want a slick thriller that makes you think about the layers of the film. Or rather, it makes you think about what’s really in the backroom, and not just what’s placed out on the shelves.
Score 8/10
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