Dancing, drag, drugs and a murder. Party Monster is based on the book Disco Bloodbath by James St. James, friend of Michael Alig: King of the Club Kids. It delivers a grim and comedic look at Michael’s rise, and dramatic spiral, as one of New York’s most infamous party planners.
When Michael Alig came to New York City to escape his midwestern life, he didn’t expect to run into his wealthy icon, James St. James. As a hit club coordinator, James St. James takes Michael under his wing and introduces him to the world of the club kids. These eccentric, free-spirited, youths dominated the club scene of the 80’s and 90’s. They expressed themselves with vibrant makeup, over-the-top costumes, and open drug use. After James St. James gets Michael Alig invested in the lifestyle, things start to spiral out of control for everyone involved.
As Michael climbs the ranks and becomes New York’s top party planner, his spontaneous and often malicious behavior becomes more dangerous for himself and those around him. Using increasingly harder drugs, Michael’s behavior goes from innocently inquisitive to outright apathetic. When one of the drag scene’s top performers passes away, Michael chooses to concern himself with his latest party instead of mourning. When he runs out of drugs he simply takes more from his room-mate, Angel, who also serves as his dealer. Despite all warnings from James St. James, Michael spirals out of control until it costs him everything he’s come to love and leads to a fatal conflict.
Party Monster isn’t lacking any talent and brings an unexpected ensemble together for fantastic chemistry. Macaulay Culkin delivers his most sinister role since The Good Son, showcasing Michael Alig’s ill intentions and passive demeanor in a way that makes you equally concerned for him as you are for those around him. Flamboyant, catty, and all around self-centered, Culkin’s portrayal of Michel embodies faux innocence and sporadic chaos. Seth Green, on the other hand, goes from being a bright and vibrant representation of James St. James, to a distraught friend who just wants the best for everyone. His acting range sells everything from his carefree energy to his hopeless concern in the film’s final hour. The two are accompanied by a surprising cast of supporting actors. Wilmer Valderrama, best known as FES from That 70’s Show, portrays Michael Alig’s first boyfriend, Keoki. Angel is played by Star Trek: Discovery’s Wilson Cruz, who transitions from a bright eyed fan of Michael’s, to his worn out drug dealing room-mate. Cruz captures most of the viewer’s empathy whenever he’s on screen. Keen eyes can spot Marilyn Manson as drag performer, Christina, and John Stamos in a brief scene where he’s simply credited as “Talk Show Host”.
Filmed in a gritty fashion, it would be easy to assume that Party Monster was a product of the era it’s showcasing. While potentially distracting, I found the presentation to be on-point for the subject matter, and overall tone, that Party Monster aimed to create. This is thanks to cinematographer Teodoro Maniaci, who’s resume includes Pretty Little Liars, Westworld, and most recently, Amazon’s Fallout series. Teodoro’s approach to filming Party Monster is often claustrophobic, bringing the viewer uncomfortably close to the characters in a way that perfectly embraces the unwieldy tone brought on by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Both wrote and directed this adaptation of James St. James’ book “Disco Bloodbath”. The pair have worked together for decades on such projects as The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and countless episodes of Drag reality shows. They understood the night life that Michael Alig embraced, and made it a character all itself in a beautifully vibrant fashion.
Rounding out the creative ensemble is composer Jimmy Harry. Responsible for the soundtracks to such films as John Tucker Must Die, Lars and the Real Girl, and RuPaul music videos, Jimmy Harry perfectly curated Party Monster’s music, bringing life to every club scene and dramatic moment. Everyone on the crew put forth passionate effort, and the resulting piece of cinema shows it.
Party Monster deviates from the true tale in a way that makes it a digestible movie. To do the real world story of Michael Alig and James St. James appropriately, it would take a mini-series more akin to something you’d see on Netflix. As a dark comedy based on a true story, however, Party Monster stands out as a completely unique film unrivaled by anything else drag movies have to offer. Even though the film opens up by telling the audience that someone gets killed, even going as far as to tell you who, it never feels predictable. The entire thing is a beautifully chaotic ride from beginning to end. Party Monster is currently available on Amazon Prime. Anyone seeking the full story can seek out James St. James’ book, Disco Bloodbath, which was reprinted as Party Monster in 2003 for the film’s release.