Film

The Festival

Name: The Festival
Genre: Comedy, Music
Released: 2018
Cast: Joe Thomas, Hammed Animashaun, Claudia O'Doherty, Hannah Tointon, Kurt Yaeger

Buddy comedy
Light-hearted

A scrappy British comedy about three lads trying to have the time of their lives at a music festival after one of them gets dumped. It's loose, anarchic, and committed to the bit—more interested in chaotic mishaps than narrative polish. For anyone who's survived a festival weekend with mates and came away with stories rather than photos.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like cheerfully chaotic British comedies where the jokes come from characters being hopelessly sincere, and the festival setting is a playground for mess rather than a backdrop.

Skip it if you want a tight, plot-driven comedy, since this one drifts from one set-piece to the next and leans on its shambling energy more than on any sharp narrative spine.

What it asks of you: It runs about ninety-eight minutes and keeps a loose, sprawling rhythm, so it asks you to go along with its scruffy detours and enjoy the company more than the plot.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Skins2007

Raw, messy ensemble comedy-drama about British youth that captures the same energy of young people making terrible decisions in groups, with genuine warmth underneath the chaos.

But It's a TV series, so you're committing to eight seasons. The tone lurches between comedy and serious trauma in ways that don't always land.

The Inbetweeners 22014

Four lads abroad making fools of themselves in pursuit of fun—same DNA as The Festival, but with a sharper script and stronger comic timing. The awkwardness actually works here.

But The humour is very British and very laddish; some will find it lazy or dated. The plot is basically nonexistent.

Superbad2007

Three friends on a mission, booze, bad decisions, and genuine affection underneath all the cringe. It's got the same warm-hearted chaos but tighter comedy writing.

But It's a decade older and has become a touchstone; you might find it overrated or just too well-trodden now.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Festival

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Fyre2019

Both are built on the gap between what people promise themselves and what actually happens at a festival—one's a joke, the other's a cautionary tale.

A documentary about a festival that never was—all the same madness and delusion as The Festival, but real and infinitely stranger. It's a perfect chaser after a comedy about festival chaos.

But It's a documentary about fraud and incompetence, not a story. If you want narrative comfort rather than true-crime fascination, skip it.

This Is England2007

A British ensemble romp that captures youth culture and subcultures with lived-in detail and real humour, even when things turn darker. Shaun of the Dead director.

But It's far heavier than The Festival—the second half veers into genuinely disturbing territory. Not what you're after for lightness.

Four Rooms1995

A single night, a group of misfits, increasingly absurd situations—structured chaos that rewards commitment to the premise and the jokes.

But It's wildly uneven and dates badly. Some skits work, others die on arrival. Very '90s in the worst ways.

Project X2012

Found-footage chaos about a house party that spirals beautifully out of control. If you love The Festival's 'everything goes wrong' energy, this is pure adrenaline.

But It's aggressively dumb and misogynistic in places. The found-footage gimmick ages poorly and gets exhausting.

The Inbetweeners Movie2011

Same team as Inbetweeners 2, earlier and leaner. Lads-on-holiday comedy that actually understands the mix of bonding and embarrassment you're after.

But If you don't find British awkwardness funny, nothing here will convert you. Very narrow demographic.

We're the Millers2013

A ragtag group of misfits on a mission, building unexpected bonds through chaos and bad planning. It's got that ensemble warmth and commitment to absurdity.

But Studio comedy that plays it safe; it won't surprise you or challenge you. Basically functional.

Vacation2015

A family trip from hell with energetic performances and a willingness to push the joke further than it probably should. Familiar structure, some genuine laughs.

But It's poorly constructed and coasts on its cast doing their best. Reaches for comedy without earning it most of the time.

Aftersun2022

Both are structured around a leisure event (festival, holiday) as container for what's really happening between people. One's anarchic, this one's devastatingly still.

A holiday film that's about holiday films—a father and daughter on a trip that's superficially normal but quietly devastating. Shot like memory feels. Absolutely still, absolutely present.

But It's the opposite of spectacle: a quiet character study in a single location. If you want The Festival's noise and motion, this will feel like sitting in a library.