Trainwreck: The Real Project X—The Riot You Somehow Missed in 2012

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a sleepy Dutch town accidentally recreated a Hollywood teen party movie, Trainwreck: The Real Project X has your answer. And spoiler alert: it’s every bit as chaotic, ridiculous, and wildly entertaining as it sounds. It’s the kind of story you’d think Netflix fabricated for maximum drama, except all of it actually happened. And yes, there’s video proof.

Trainwreck: The Real Project X—The Riot You Somehow Missed in 2012

The Premise: Facebook Fail to Full-Blown Frenzy

This latest installment in Netflix’s Trainwreck series tells the real-life story of “Project X Haren,” a 2012 birthday party gone nuclear after a public Facebook invite spiraled into a full-blown riot. Thousands of teens, some wearing party hats and carrying beer like it was the end of days, descended on the town of Haren with one goal: party like the movie. What followed was pure, unfiltered mob mentality in action. Think of it as the Dutch remix of Project X, minus the Hollywood polish but with all the fire, chaos, and questionable decisions.

The documentary quickly sets the stage, showing how a simple, well-meaning Facebook invite accidentally became ground zero for one of the most absurd social media-driven disasters in modern history. One click, one setting, and suddenly a quiet birthday party became the epicenter of national headlines and community trauma. The sheer scale of it all is part of the hook; you can’t help but gawk.

Merthe and the Accidental Spotlight

That’s not to say the doc doesn’t carry any weight. In fact, The Real Project X manages to walk a clever line between jaw-dropping absurdity and reflective storytelling. The star of the show, whether she wants to be or not, is Merthe Weusthuis, the now-grown woman who accidentally launched a riot with one wrong privacy setting. Her interviews are some of the most watchable in the entire piece. She’s composed, candid, and (let’s be honest) maybe just a little pleased to be the center of attention again. And really, who can blame her? Not much else tends to happen in a town like Haren.

Merthe’s perspective adds just enough heart to ground the film. There’s a quiet undercurrent of “this could happen to anyone,” and it’s clear that while she’s found peace with it, the experience fundamentally changed her life. It’s also refreshing to see her take control of the narrative after so many years of internet mythologizing. You leave the documentary with respect for her, and probably a bit of pity for what she went through.

Firsthand Chaos and Found-Footage Vibes

The doc does a great job letting the people who actually lived through this madness tell the story themselves. From partygoers to local officials to one guy who created a second invite and now seems just a bit too proud of it, the interviewees give the film an authentic, oral-history-style vibe. No narrator, no melodrama, just first-hand accounts and a flood of actual footage that makes the whole thing feel more like a found-footage comedy than a Netflix doc.

The footage is wild. We’re talking shaky phone videos of kids dancing in the streets, riot cops clashing with beer-wielding teenagers, and one poor guy giving a matter-of-fact play-by-play like he’s narrating a sports event. The editing keeps the pace quick and energetic, giving viewers just enough time to say, “wait, what?” before plunging into the next absurd moment. Visually, it’s controlled chaos, and that perfectly matches the story it’s telling.

Back to Form for the Trainwreck Series

Compared to other entries in the Trainwreck lineup, this one feels like a return to form. After the more subdued and less engaging Cult of American Apparel episode, Project X brings the energy back with a bang (and, yes, some actual fire). It’s not as heavy or tragic as Astroworld, but it absolutely qualifies as a bonafide trainwreck. Just ask the riot police.

What this episode does especially well is lean into the ridiculousness without losing the plot. You’re allowed to laugh, but you’re also reminded that people were injured, property was destroyed, and careers were ruined. There’s enough depth to keep you thinking after the credits roll, which puts it a cut above your typical shock-value doc.

A Snapshot of a Pre-Woke Internet

What really hit me was how little anyone seemed to understand the power of social media back in 2012. The idea that a public event invite could spark a nationwide pilgrimage to one girl’s house feels unthinkable today, but there we were. And the documentary smartly nods to that cultural moment without hammering it over our heads.

Back then, Facebook was the center of the teen universe, and the idea that a “small mistake” could go viral overnight wasn’t something people took seriously. Watching The Real Project X now feels like peeking into a time capsule from the early 2010s, before TikTok, before event filters, before anyone had a clue what a “digital footprint” was. It’s nostalgic in the weirdest, most chaotic way possible.

The film also captures the generational divide really well. You’ve got teenagers trying to go viral for fun, and adults who look like they’re watching the apocalypse unfold because someone forgot to click “private.” It’s frustrating, funny, and depressingly familiar all at once.

Final Verdict: 4.5/5 Stars

Give this one a watch on Netflix, then stop back and let me know what you think about it in the comments!

Tony Simons

Tony has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix and over 14 years of writing experience between multiple publications in the tech, photography, lifestyle, and deal industries.