(Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Imagine this: you show up to your kid’s college, and you decide, “You know what? I’m enrolling too.” That’s the level of fun and brilliance Melissa McCarthy brings to her 2018 comedy Life of the Party, which is coming to Netflix. Because who else could pull off a middle-aged college student crashing frat parties and make it look like a self-love journey? Nothing but McCarthy.

People have always had a soft spot for McCarthy’s brand of humour. The woman can pull off anything, and in the most endearing way. She was always slightly out of her depth but was somehow running the show. And this film feels like a love letter to every woman who has ever wanted a do-over, only with beer pong and dorm drama thrown in.

Since Netflix has had a purely gruesome couple of months with all the true-crime drama releases, this movie is like a fresh breath of spring in fall. And it doesn’t care about being profound; it just wants you to have a good time. Honestly, that’s all you need from a Friday night watch.

So if you’re in the mood for one hell of a ride with this mom with a few questionable life choices, join Melissa McCarthy doing what she does best: being unhinged. Here’s everything you need to know about Life of the Party.

What is the plot of Life of the Party?

So here’s the setup: Deanna has spent most of her life being the dependable mom, the supportive wife, and the woman who never really got to finish what she started. We all know someone like that in real life, don’t we? And then, out of nowhere, her husband decides he is done. No warning, no reason that makes sense, just done.

And instead of spiralling (well, okay, she spirals a little), Deanna decides to take control in the most Melissa McCarthy way possible: by re-enrolling in college to finally get her archaeology degree. The small twist? Her daughter studies there too. Can you imagine the ultimate mix of secondhand embarrassment, late-night studying, and an unexpectedly sweet mother-daughter friendship that grows through the madness? Because we can!

And if you think Life of the Party is trying to be edgy or life-changing, then that’s not the case. This film is just joy in motion. It is also a reminder that starting over doesn’t always have to be graceful. It can be messed up, and that’s okay.

Who’s in the cast of Life of the Party?

Honestly, half the fun of Life of the Party is spotting all the familiar comedy faces showing alongside Melissa McCarthy. She leads the film as Deanna, of course, bringing that mix of goofiness and emotional warmth that made her a household name after Bridesmaids.

She’s joined by Booksmart star Molly Gordon as her daughter Maddie, who is constantly struggling between supporting her mom and pretending she doesn’t exist on campus. Maya Rudolph (who might just steal every scene she’s in) plays Deanna’s best friend Christine, while Gillian Jacobs, Julie Bowen, and Heidi Gardner round out the cast as the friends and frenemies who make college life a circus.

And yes, that’s Chris Parnell from Saturday Night Live as one of the professors trying to make sense of Deanna’s college comeback. The film was directed by Ben Falcone, who, by the way, is McCarthy’s real-life husband and frequent creative partner, who also co-wrote the script and makes a tiny cameo if you blink at the wrong time.