My first encounter with Jordan Firstman was as a content creator on social media, with his biting sense of humour and keen awareness of social conventions leading to some hilarious and irreverent observations that defined his comedic style and allowed him to become quite a popular figure in the contemporary comedic scene. He further elevated his status with a starring role in the brilliant but underseen Rotting in the Sun, which inadvertently kickstarted his career as a filmmaker, and this has now manifested in the form of Club Kid, his brilliant and deeply moving directorial debut in which he showcases his incredible skills, which are no longer restricted to brief online videos, but rather expanded into something far more compelling. The film follows Peter Green, a club promoter who tends to play life quite fast and loose, his day-to-day routine being a string of drug-fueled parties and attempts to recover from whatever lingering hangover he has from the night before, all the while trying to masquerade as something of a professional, which contrasts sharply with his reputation for being a bit of a loose cannon at the best of times, holding court as one of the most influential members of the city’s queer party scene, a title he wears with nothing but pride. His irresponsible actions catch up with him after a while when he is presented with an unexpected surprise: a son, conceived nearly a decade ago as a result of a near-anonymous encounter. The mother has subsequently died, forcing Peter to take over caring for Arlo, who spent his entire life in London, but has now been thrust into the frenzy of New York City, which he is forced to navigate with a man who was not at all ready for fatherhood in any way – but needless to say, it doesn’t take too long for the pair to forge a strong bond, especially when it is revealed that they have quite a bit in common, enough to eventually make them absolutely inseparable. A compelling blend of outrageous comedy and soft-hearted drama, Club Kid is an immense achievement that may seem quite conventional at a glance, but has a tenderness that cannot be manufactured, and can only emerge through the perfect blend of sincerity and humour, both of which Firstman provides in an abundance throughout this delightful and irreverent story that is far more layered than we would expect at first.

We are starting to approach the point where artists who occupy that ambiguous space between the tail-end of the millennial era and the start of Generation Z are being handed the reins, finally being allowed to tell their stories on a much larger platform, rather than hoping that they could be represented on screen. Firstman is in many ways one of the defining figures of this era, primarily because he represents not only the more fluid, free-wheeling identity that often defines this generation, but his unique sense of humour and ability to make some profound observations has stood him in good stead as an essential voice in his field. Despite what the older generations say, being young today is not any easier than it was in the past – circumstances change, and society adapts to new ways of living, but the same challenges are usually found, regardless of when someone was forced to fully transition from adolescence to adulthood. Club Kid centres around a slightly older protagonist, someone who has been an adult for a little while, but who seems to be suspended in a state of arrested development (which aligns with the idea that the current generation does tend to take longer to grow up than those who came before them, which is a subject that is worthy of discussion in itself), and who is forced to grow up almost overnight as a result of being given a responsibility that he simply cannot ignore. As one of the most effective examinations of the current generation that we’ve seen produced in the last few years, the film has a lot to work with, most of which emerges from Firstman’s own first-hand knowledge of the contemporary cultural landscape, which he uses as the backdrop to what eventually reveals itself to be a deeply compelling coming-of-age story in which two aimless characters find each other at a particularly awkward moment, and by working through the initial discomfort, they find common ground that allows them to bond in ways that neither of them expected to be possible. Through all of this, Firstman is able to remark on a number of additional themes, some more upbeat than others – he celebrates the queer community and how so many people can find a sense of belonging in the margins that are steadily growing, while also commenting critically on more sombre subjects, such as addiction and mental health, all of which are woven into the fabric of this deeply moving and compelling film.

Over time, it has been quite common to find actors-turned-directors casting themselves in the lead roles in their debuts, which often has imbalanced results, since very few actually thrive in all areas that go into the creation of these films. However, Firstman has more than proven himself as a tremendous writer and director, so it stands to reason that he would also succeed as an actor, the one area in which he has the most experience. He’s evidently not playing a character too far removed from himself – we can assume Peter is a far more irresponsible and shallow person than Firstman himself, but there is obviously a sense of familiarity with the broader elements of the character, and rather than trying to demonstrate enormously impressive dramatic skills, he chooses to embrace a simpler approach that feels far more appropriate given the intentions of the film. Ultimately, this is a story about a man who is stuck living in the idealistic version of his youth from which he has struggled to escape, despite those around him urging him to consider making some changes to show his gradual maturity. Peter represents those of us who have had to make the decision to wake up to the harsh realities that we can no longer remain in that liminal space between reckless youth and sober responsibility, and his journey is one kickstarted by the arrival of the son he never knew he had, who suddenly becomes his primary responsibility. Firstman’s performance is wonderful, since he plays into his natural charm while also not resting on his laurels, taking on a wealth of emotions that may not always be all that consistent, but which are never anything less than absolutely compelling. It does help that he is surrounded by very strong actors, some of whom are quite unexpected. There is an argument to be made that the best performance in Club Kid comes from Reggie Absolom, whose work as the young Arlo is astonishing. It’s been a while since we’ve seen such a self-assured, confident performance emerging from someone so young. He’s not a total newcomer, having acted in a couple of productions before, but it is this film that immediately establishes him as an exceptionally talented young actor, and someone who I fully expect to become quite a force as he grows older and gets to participate in other projects that allow him to showcase his evidently very natural skills. Smaller parts from Cara Delevingne, Diego Luna, Saturn Risin9 and a host of other actors (some of whom have only one or two scenes) make Club Kid an unexpectedly poignant assemblage of eccentric characters that all function as essential fragments in a deeply compelling mosaic.

It is almost universally agreed that the best advice for budding artists – particularly writers and directors – is to explore subjects that they know, since it is far easier to explore something that is familiar to your own experiences than it is to create something entirely bespoke, at least at the very beginning of one’s career. Firstman is someone who has shown himself to have a firm grasp on the collective cultural pulse, and who is evidently familiar with most of the themes that anchor Club Kid, whether it is navigating the modern world as an openly queer individual who refuses to conform to society’s standards, or his experiences making his way through the club scene, which is both an exciting and brutal place for anyone brave enough to embrace those carnal pleasures that can be both satisfying and enormously destructive depending on how deep one ventures inwards. In between all of this, the film reveals itself to be unexpectedly very simple in terms of its conceptual foundation – this is a story of a father and his son trying to survive in a world that seems to be growing more hostile than ever before, realising that they truly only have one another, making their surprise meeting somewhat serendipitous. Firstman could’ve very easily made this film a heavy-handed, complex affair that is filled to the brim with dense emotions, since this is certainly a subject in which such an approach would’ve been easily forgiven. However, what we do come to learn very quickly with this film is that the director is far more interested in communicating something authentic rather than forcing the viewer into thinking the exact same way as him, which is notable from the very start of the film. Tonally, the film is quite fascinating – it is an exploration of the decay of contemporary morals as told through a satirical lens, being both bitingly funny and deeply melancholic, capturing the zeitgeist of modern life in intricate detail, but never being weighed down by the novelty, instead seeking out something more meaningful in the process, creating a film that exists across a few genres and works with different tones, each one revealing new layers to this story. It is inevitable that we will feel something with this story, since it is seeking out the tenderness beneath an outrageous exterior, but it is never heavy-handed, being a labour of love for someone who has a keen sense of self-awareness for the culture in which he exists, finding the humour by cobbling together a number of meaningful moments that handle complex emotions with tact and genuine affection.

Club Kid is a film that seems simple on the surface, but as soon as it starts to gain momentum, we realise that it has unexpected depth and nuance, enough to make it a far more engaging affair than anyone may have initially anticipated. The story of a man who is teetering dangerously close to the edge of self-destruction, haunted by the ghosts of his squandered potential and forced to pay the consequences for his past actions, is already fertile ground for a socially-charged comedy about seeking redemption after realising the fragility of life. However, as it progresses, we discover that there is so much more at play here, the film becoming a fascinating elegy on youth and ageing, as well as a depiction of unconventional fatherhood and the unexpected bonds that can be formed between two relative strangers who are forced to find common ground as a means to move past a very difficult situation. Very often, we can see when a debut film is merely a passion project by someone who may not be able to sustain the same level of storytelling with subsequent works, but considering how Firstman’s voice is already so clear and self-assured, it’s evident that he has a promising future ahead of him, on both sides of the camera. Club Kid feels like a defining film of the current era, signalling the arrival of an essential new voice in contemporary cinema, crafting a sensitive portrait of a man seeking the opportunity to grow and change, a journey he only embarks on once he realises that there is simply no other choice, while also learning that it is never too late to seek redemption or reinvent yourself, granted they both exist for the sake of self-improvement. An easy-going, upbeat comedy about family and community, telling a story that defines the adage that it takes a village to raise a child, the film manages to both glamourise and critique the same subjects, showing the protagonist’s journey to realising that the world will inevitably move on without you, since life waits for no one, despite the tendency to believe that we are the centre of the universe. Filled with irreverent humour that is both touching and emotionally very rich, and defined by the kind of sincere candour that is often missing in a lot of similarly themed films, it is difficult not to fall in love with Club Kid, a film that takes a very charming approach to a more challenging subject, and establishes Firstman as someone who is going to make a remarkable impression on the industry, with his unique sense of humour and fascinating perspective having all the makings of a future master if this delightful film is anything to go by.