Club Kid Delivers the High We Needed at the Cannes Film Festival
Jordan Firstman premiered his directorial debut Club Kid in the Un Certain Regard section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Firstman, best known for the biting I Love LA, and Rotting in the Sun, delivers an unexpectedly warm-hearted coming-of-age film set in the New York City queer club scene.
The movie begins with Peter (Firstman), a thirtysomething gay man who has spent the last decade clubbing and getting high while working as a party promoter. When his work partner, Sophie, played by Cara Delevingne, kicks him out of the business, he struggles to figure out how he will pay next month’s rent. During this low, he receives news that completely shatters his current reality of clubbing and weeklong drug benders—he is a dad. A drunken fling in a club a decade earlier has had a lasting impact. Enter Arlo (Reggie Absolom), the 10-year-old son of Peter, who has been living with his mother in London until her untimely death. Arlo’s unforeseen arrival upends Peter’s partying routine, forcing him to make space and grow up. Lucky for Peter, Arlo is a pretty cool kid who listens to house music and wants to learn how to DJ. Peter and Arlo bond until child protective services visits, forcing Arlo to return to London and live with a ‘better-suited’ guardian.
In his debut, Firstman skillfully balances laugh-out-loud moments with scenes of extreme vulnerability. Audiences who are new to the queer vocabulary and memes running through the movie will still understand the hilarity of newfound fatherhood. Firstman and Absolom bounce off each other as a father and son navigating their fresh, strange situation. The bond between Firstman and his group of friends, which includes dolls and drag queens, is a beautiful display of found family in the club scene. The script is extremely quick-witted, has depth, and doesn’t leave room for filler. Music from Rihanna, Moby, and Ethel Cain is the perfect sonic backdrop for this version of New York. I could not have anticipated leaving this movie with tears falling down my face. Firstman’s excellent directorial introduction excites me for whatever comes next.
Following its premiere, a 5-way bidding battle over distribution ensued, with A24 coming out on top, with a release date to be announced. Everything clicks into place for Club Kid, one of the best surprises to come out of the festival this year.
Comments
Post a Comment