Thank you, A24, for the invite to a special screening of the brand new film Club Kid!
Club Kid is a comedy-drama written and directed by Jordan Firstman, who also stars in it. You may know him from Rotting in the Sun, I Love LA or his guest spot on Hacks. This is his feature directorial debut, which honestly shocked me, because of how beautiful this film really is.
The film premiered at Cannes back in May, and A24 picked it up out of the festival. After seeing it, I get why.
The Story
The story is about Peter, a really flamboyant club kid and party promoter who has spent many, many years in the New York club scene. Partying is basically his whole life. Then one day, somebody shows up at his door with his son. Peter is a gay man, and he had this one night with a woman. Arlo, now 10 years old, is the product of that one night.
What an original story. What a great story! It’s funny, it’s clever, at times it’s thought-provoking, and it has so much heart.
What I appreciated is that the film doesn’t treat Peter’s world like something he has to be rescued from. The clubs, his friends, the late nights are who he is. The real question is whether he can make room for a kid in that life, and watching him figure it out is where so much of the heart comes from.
This film is a roller coaster of a ride. There were times I was cracking up, and by the end of it I was bawling my damn eyes out, wiping tears away a lot.
The Cast
The casting and the acting are superb, by everyone. Reggie Absolom, who plays Peter’s son Arlo, is phenomenal. This kid! Here I am again, talking about these young actors who are just phenomenal. He holds his own opposite Firstman, and a lot of the film’s heart comes from him.
The supporting cast is stacked, too. Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Colleen Camp all show up, and they make Peter’s world feel full and lived-in.
The Directing and Cinematography
Let’s talk about the cinematography and the directing, though. There are moments where you’re in the club scene and it’s chaotic, with flashing lights and so much going on. Then there are these moments where Peter is talking to Arlo, shot in close-ups.
That back-and-forth of pulling you in and bringing you out really works. You feel the chaos of Peter’s life, and then everything gets quiet when it’s just him and Arlo.
It also gives you a real look into New York City’s queer nightlife scene. Firstman has said he drew on his own time in Berlin’s nightlife while writing it, and you can tell this is a world he knows. I was kind of excited to see Amanda Lepore make a little cameo at the beginning, too.
Where to See It and My Rating
Club Kid is having a gradual release. A lot of you may be able to catch it at a Regal starting November 13th, and then it gets a wider release Thanksgiving weekend.
My rating: 5 out of 5. I would watch this film again. It’s a gem of a film, the story is so great, and we need more filmmaking like this. If you love a movie that makes you laugh and cry in the same sitting, put this one on your list.
