24 Hour Party People

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Watch: Alright, alright, alright. Like many of the best best nights ever, Dazed and Confused is essentially the story of a party that doesn’t happen and the improvised fun times that ensue when the urge to let your hair down overcomes the lack of any sort of plan. After Pickford’s end-of-term bash is busted near the start of Boyhood director Richard Linklater's 1993 cult classic, the seniors drift aimlessly but optimistically from pool hall to drive-through to – eventually – a rager for the ages up by the moon tower.  

Wear: So much to go on: Randall ‘Pink’ Floyd’s purple shirt and white flares; Wooderson’s skinny Ted Nugent tee and salmon trews; Mitch’s floral button-down; Slater’s, um, leaf-print tee…

House Party (1990)

Watch: Who hasn’t dreamed of stopping a banging party in its tracks and wooing a pair of beautiful ladies via an athletically coordinated dance routine with your best mate? OK, maybe it's best to leave that part to the magic of Hollywood. But the basic principles of House Party – dressing to the nines, inviting a bunch of mates round, bopping till dawn – are still sound ingredients for a great night out.

Wear: We’re gonna advocate you mix and match here. Take Play’s killer zoot suit-inspired getup (baggy slacks, dapper shirt and tie and stellar two-tone derbies) and combine it with Kid’s truly memorable high-top fade hairstyle.

Lost In Translation (2003)

Watch: ‘There were Japanese surfers there and the guy was playing really, really, really great music…’ Bill Murray’s bleary early hours phone call home captures the tired euphoria of an all nighter’s not-quite morning after. And after a dreamy evening of Tokyo karaoke with a pink-wigged Scarlett Johansson, who can blame him for getting a little emotional?

Wear: A suit jacket, an inside-out orange tee and a look of world-weary bemusement.

Almost Famous (2000)

Watch: In our heads, all misty morning walks of shame (or, indeed, bus rides of shame) are soundtracked by the healing, gently swelling sounds of Elton John’s Tiny Dancer. Unlike rockstar Russell, we may not be golden gods, but – to quote another Elton banger – we’re still standing.

Wear: Billy Crudup’s tash, flares and smock-style shirt are strong, but we’re going to champion band manager Noah Taylor’s bang-on-trend baseball tee, worn with a wide-brimmed trilby, for rock ’n’ roll’s sake.

Superbad (2007)

Watch: Sometimes an all-nighter doesn’t end with you getting the girl or facing down the dawn like a heroic party warrior. Sometimes it ends with you snuggled in a sleeping bag, having an awkwardly intense heart-to-heart with your best mate in the world.

Wear: Not a lot of great style cues here, but Jonah Hill’s Western shirt isn’t half bad.